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The #1 Computer Game Magazine 


pmpu 




TOP STRATEulES Longbow 2, 

Jedi Knight, Age of Empires 

35 TOUGH REVIEWS Quake II', Blade Runner, 

Tomb Raider II, Longbow 2, Heavy Gear, Curse of 
Monkey Island, Madden 98, Men In Black & more! 


S3.99 USA, S4.99 Canada 


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GT Interactive Software Cotp. MlcrosoUO and WIndowsO ate registered trademarKs of Microsott Corporation. MMX™ and 
the MMX Logo™ are trademarks of Intel Corporation. All other trademarks are the property ot their respective companies. 



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No Other Golf Game 


New IVCam™ captures your best shots from absolutely anywhere on the course. 


Tee off with Jack on beautiful courses all 
over the world. New 3D golfers - made 
with a breathtaking 2000 polygons - 
are the most lifelike and realistic ever 
seen in a golf game. Pro golfers were 
motion-captured to create incredibly 
accurate swings. 

And, going 3D means you can position 
the camera anywhere, at any angle on 
the course to make shots and watch 
replays. You can even line up putts at 
ground level for precise aiming. 

Of course, this is still Jack's game and 


he's waiting to tee off with you. An 
all-new Al engine powers challenging 
computer opponents who will try their 
best to beat you on the links. 

Even better, now you can play 
uneven and sidehill lies. If you hit 
a bad shot, you decide whether 
to declare your ball unplayable 
and where to take the drop. 

Jack may be the greatest golfer 
of all time, but this is still the 
game that humbles all players. 




10 Courses included plus over 
100 more available FREE via the 
Internetl Jack Nicklaus 5 offers 
more than any other golf game. 
New for Jack Nicklaus 5 - Lake 
I Las Vegas, Ireland's Mt. Juliet, 

I and the exotic Hualalai of Hawaii. 


Play more than 100 courses 


*10 

Rebate/Upgrade! 

For owners of 
Jack NicktauSid^ 
Links LS and 
PGA Pro 


Gives You Jack! 

Praise for Jack Nicklaus* 

idrkirk— Computer Gaming World "...impressive...'— GOLFWEEK 


Packed with 
new features! 

NEW 10 courses! More than any 
other golf game including Lake Las 
Vegas, Ireland's Mt. Juliet and the 
exotic Hualalai. 




NEW Grip it and Rip it. The new 
MouseMeter"* gives you the real 
feel of the swing or choose from 
either the 2-Click or 3-Click 
standard meters. 


NEW Gary McCord. Hear the sharp 
and often hilarious commentary of 
this renowned CBS sportscaster. 


NEW Lifelike 3D golfers modeled 
using the most advanced motion- 
capture technology for incredibly 
accurate swings. 


NEW Artificially Intelligent 
computer golfers challenge you 
on the links. Play against opponents 
who will try to beat you every 
time you tee up. 


NEW TVCam'” lets you position 
the camera anywhere on the 
course to aim, play and watch 
your shots. 


NEW The course designer is more 
powerful than ever. Import your 
own graphics and design custom 
courses. 


NEW Find friends and other 
players on-line to play against 
with Accolade's new Game 
Matching Service. 


NEW Game physics now allow 
for uneven and hillside lies as 
well as ball drop feature. 


NEW Fly-bys and detailed 
commentary help your strategy 
on every hole. 


aving Pii' Hags- 

gs an%oles_actuaUy 


■n Ynur Owit Courses. 

^tepoweifuUouise designer 
lets you import oustom 

graphics and create your 

favorite courses. 


Special Laptop 
Version Included. 


included for you to 
choose from. 



XHH-E DNUY -FELLIES 


3 UMICPUS: Fll-IEN Sf>£C1£5 

Whether you command the 
nomadic Terrans, mysterious 
Protoss, or voracious Zerg, 
you must devise totaiiy unique 
strategies to master the 
speciatized units, abiiities 
and technoiogies sf each. • 


Intense Internet ComEEnTioN 

Chaiienge the worid with FREE* 
access to Biizzard Battie-net*.”* Up to 
8 piayer internet support including 
worldwide piayer rankings, 
tournaments and chaiienge ladders. * 


LiNECpURl-EO 
CfllYlERlQN -EniTaR 

Construct individual 
missions or entire 
campaigns with unrivaled 
options and ease, o 




■ReVQLUTlDNfl-RY^-FeCl-HL ef^GCTS 

Real-time tight sourcing, true tine of sight and 
an advanced transiucency engine combine for 
unparalleled visual and tactical realism. 


,rnUL.Tlf»Le T4H-eflT€«S OF B-HTTLE 

Engage in a.deadly mix of space combat, 
planetary assault and covert base infiltration. 
Command Ghost Espionage Agents, Protos% 
High Templars, and Zerg Defilers as you seek 
to conquer the galaxy. 


lo Baltlo.not requires access to the Inlernel. Play^ 
I Salllo.ool aio traHomarKs’and Bliazard a rogislo' 
ltd BntortoinmenI, All rights reserved. 


'.compulergaming.com/infolink 















“PC games are what I live for. 


1 just love standing in front of my really big-screen television, totally immersed in a helicopter battle, 
fragging dinos or racing motorcycles at breakneck speed, it’s wild. And 1 like wild. Intergraph’s 



Intense 3D Voodoo"^ add-in graphics card 

with its TV-out connector lets me live It! 1 just /one this graphics card! 

And it supports the largest library of titles available for any 3D 
accelerator. Its arcade-quality 3D graphics are sooo painfull} 
gonill And with 3Dfx"^ Voodoo Rush'' technology you get the 
world’s best combination of 2D and 3D graphics rhat’s good, 
in addition to 3D games, 1 can rUn regular PC applications 

So, 1 can keep up my recipe files, chart the ups-and-downs of my stock portfolio and write letters 
to my Granny. Yeah... .really! Now, you can have the same kind of PC game 


experiences I do. Just buy an Intense 3D Voodoo graphics accelerator. 

It's available at lots and lots of 
computer retailers." 


PC Game Champion, 
^SIa$li'Doolin,says 
"Get Really Intense with 
Intense 3D Voodoo!" 



Intense 3D Voodoo delivers super-sharp graphics for 
stunning realism and intense game play. 


INTERGRAPH 

COMPUTER SYSTEMS 


Buy Intense 3D Voodoo at your local computer retailer. 

www.intergraph.com/voodoo 1 -800-763-0242 

GO TO # 072 @ www.computergaming.com/tnfoiink 







J 







C - ) fy r r/r ^ < 







y/K\'s'} J'yiS.t p'hxi^ 

■St ysM m'si 



THE CURSE OFI 



Presenting the long-awaited third installment in LucasArts’ classic adventure series, Monkey Island. With features like 30- 
plus hours of gameplay, 8,000 lines of hilarious dialogue, oodles of challenging puzzles, high-resolution graphics, film- 
quality animation and a few surprise celebrity voices. Not to mention vegetarian cannibals and a guy named Snugglecakes. 
So get ready to embark on a rollicking, swashbuckling graphic adventure where the seagulls ha 
aim than the pirates, and the sharpest weapon is your wit. 95- CD-KOM 

Check out the playable demo in select magazines or download it from our Web site at www.Iucasarts.com 

e 1SS7 Licislrti EnieitilnBcnl Coingini. All Rlgats RrseKid. Tin Cuiss »l Monkey IsUnd Is a ifUenad ol UsasArls Ente/lalimnnl Conpaty. lie LucasAils logo Is i registeiet Uideiisik ol lueisflln ltd., used lodei aulkodiallca. 



GO TO #117 0 www.computergaming.com/infolink 





Win At All Costs! 


Game of the Year Awards 


If at first you don’t succeed. ..cheat! Okay, 
maybe not the first time, but if by the 10th 
time you’re still stuck it’s time to break out 
the all-purpose gaming lube. 
Unsheathe that -i-lOO Sword of 
Indiscriminate Carnage, load up on 
unlimited ammo, turn the armies massed 
against you into frothing pools of burnt 
umber. It’s easy! Plus, check out the nifty 
I hacks and Easter eggs we offer for your 
amusement. 



1997 was a great year for computer gamers. We 
enjoyed a higher percentage of hotter games 
than ever, many of which benefited from robust 
3D support, in a year marked by 
rampant sequeiitis, 
deveiopers stiii sue- iT n 

ceeded in creating j V 

richer game uni- f r«4|E 1 

verses. Of course, | 1 

1997 aiso brought with it | f 

some reai turkeys, so for the f' j 

first time, we’ii offer our , 

picks for the Best and Worst ^ 
of the year. 




ccw 


MARCH 





ADVENTURE/ROLE-PLAYiNC 


SIHULATIOHS 


Longbow 2 
ll'H F/A-18 Korea 
Big F-22ADF 
fm F-22 Raptor 
ilrli FleavyGear 


STRATEOVy WARCAMES 


itrH Seven Kingdoms 
mi Warhammer 40K: 

Final Liberation 

EH Civ II: Fantastic Worlds 
Ea Earth 2140 
Ea Politika 


SPORTS 


HiU Microsoft CART Racing 
hln Madden 98 
B0 FPS Football '98 
EQ Jack Nicklaus 5 
BH, SODA Off-Road Racing 


CLASSICS/ PUZZLES 


You Don’t Know Jack 3 
VM You Don't Know Jack TV 
t'Hi Hoyle Classic Card Games 
Pictionary 


, Latest StarCraft Info Page 39 


^ COLUMNS 

MB Johnny Wilson 
m Loyd Case 
Fnn Scorpia 
ES Dennis McCauley 
ES Jeff Green 
ES Denny Atkin 
ES Martin Cirulis 


License to Kill 
Measuring Graphics Performance 
Zork Grand Inquisitor 
The Premature Death of 07 Sports 
Professional Gamers' Follies 
Old Sims Get New Lease on Life 
What's the Deal With...Netgaming? 


^ DEPARTMENTS 

KO On the CG-ROM 
E GameSpot 
E Letters 
E READ.ME 
EE Top 100 
EE Hall of Fame 


Whsl's on the CD and How to Use It 
The Best Gaming Coverage Online 
Our Readers Speak Out 
News, Views, and the Latest Releases 
Readers Rate the Top Games 
Greatest Games of All Time 


^ HARDWARE 

m News: 3D Iron Works, Pipeline 
TV Superscan 2 

EE3 Turtle Beach Daytona Sound Ca 
FTTl PDPI Lightning 4 Game Card 
nil Seagate Medalist Pro 9140 ► 
on} CS Commander 2 


^ GAMER >^5 EDGE 

pCTI Longbow 2 
■ Jedi Knight (part 2 of 2) ► 
E3 Age of Empires (part 2 of 2) 
FTTI Myth 

(We’ve skipped CG TipsI this month 
in favor of our 501 Cheats feature.) 


REVIEW INTRODUCTIOK 


IRV-i Curse of Monkey Island 
IPTrf Blade Runner 
ca Broken Sword 


REVIEW IKDEX: Three Months of Ratings 


fni Quake II 
IE3 Tomb Raider II 


EEl 

ca 


DU 

fM 

Mk 

USk 

IHI 


G-Police 
ManxTT 
IKhl Test Drive 4 
UU 3D Pinball: Lost Continent 
Men in Black 
Excalibur 2555 
Need for Speed II SE 
NetWAR 

Mass Destruction 


oa 


MARCH 


ccw 














Real-Time camera movements 
DURING game play, and 
Real Time animation with 
Westwood’s own optical 
motion capture technology. 


West>vood’s I Si 

own True Color Sp 
Emulation ' A 

delivers game 
play and break 
through lighting 
and special effects in full 
screen (640 x 480). 


Over 70 Real-Time virtual 
actors pursuing their own 
agendas that affect your 
final outcome each time 
you play. 


■gaui« scrocij:^ 




BlaJc Runner © 1982 Blade Runner Pannorship, Blade Runner'^' Blade Runner Partnerihip. © 1997 Blade RuiiiicrAVcsiwimd Partnership 
01997 Westwood Studios, Inc. WcsIwchkI .Studios Is a registered trademark of Wesiwootl Studios. Inc. 





The First Real-Time 3D Adventure 

Armed with your investigative skills and the tools of a 21st century 
BLADE RUNNER"', you'll be immersed in a futuristic world that 
revolutionizes computer gaming, and tests your ability to survive in 
one of the richest and most atmospheric games ever created for the PC. 



For Windows® 95 


Available At Retailers Everywhere 
OR Call 1 - 800 - 874-4607 


Westwood " 


GO TO #247 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 


www.westwood.com 


Cl 997 SegaSoft Networks. Inc. AH nghls reserved. Flesh Feast, SegaSofL (he SeoaSoft toga HEAT. HEAT.NET and the HEAT logo are trsdemarks of SegaSoft Networks. Inc. AH other product names are Ihe trademarks of their respecive i 



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putrld steoch of rotting 
in tbe'^& as corpses- 

' td'feed their insatla^eUnf^er. 


..,r SIWGJLE AND MULTIPLAYER MODES UP, 'Tp'^LiYERfr PLAf 
OR ZOMBIES IN HEAD-TO--HEAT)^h£AT'^tfyR ERIBN6^^ 
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iMATIC'STORYLINE FEATufr- 
17 -LEVELS OF CARNAGE A^KC 
MULTIPLE SUB-PLOTS. 


lljATGilESiON THE HEAT^NET,1N1|RNET GAME NElVp^k- 

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-■ 



Th« TMth Clenching Action Continues! 


CAMPAIGN SERIES 






/ 




clash between Romanian and 
Russian armor. 






Actual screens may vary. 


TalonSofTs EAST FRONT™ CAMPAIGN CD1 


Xake TalonSoft's EAST FRONr” back to 1939, the very 
beginning of hostilities in WWII! This Campaign expansion 
CD adds several new nationalities and conflict situations 
to enhance the action-packed excitement of TalonSoft's 
EAST FRONr“ the platoon-level game of tactical combat 
in war-torn Eastern Europe. Pit the Polish cavalry against 
Germany's devastating armor advances. Dare to stave off 
the ovenfl/helming assault of the Russians into Finland. 
Push your command skills to the limit! 



Available at Software Retailers 
World Wide! 

Reserve your copy today! 






6 NEW NATIONALITIES: Poland, Hungary, Finland, 
Slovakia, Italy and Romania 

7 NEW CAMPAIGN GAMES: The Polish Tragedy; 
Finland: David vs. Goliath; Romania's Struggle; The 
New Roman Legions; The Honved in Russia; 
Operation Uranus; Budapest to Vienna 

50 NEW BATTLES, including coverage of: the Winter 
War, the Kharkov Battles, the Korsun Pocket, and the 
Siege of Odessa 

REVISED AND EXPANDED GAME MANUAL 


Note: REQUIRES TALONSOFT'S EAST FRONr TO PLAY 


numsOFi 


GO TO # 243 © www.computergaming.com/infolink 
Call (4t0) 933-9191 or visit ourweb site at wvvw-talonsoft.com 


©Copyright 1995-1997 TalonSoft Inc., P.O. Box 43730, White Marsh, MD 2123E 




jjj 'ijjij Hi 'Jjjij JUiUJ^-jJ 


Fult-f unction~scenario/tribe editor - - : > 

Create your own warriors and battle scenarios! 

Multiplayer features - Head-to-Head, 
Network, and Internet play! 

Campaign Game — Fight across dozens 
of inter-connected battlefields! 


1 ^* 


Preset Scenarios — Bikers Vs. Enforcers, 
Trailer Park Punks Vs. Death Cultisl ^ ^^ 
Cyborgs Vs. Amazons! 


^( 410 ) 933-9191 









ON THE Ce-ROH 


DEADLOCK II Check out our own special aliens— designed 
exclusively for this CGW demo— in the sequel to Accolade’s 
Deadlock. 


The Hottest Sports and Strategy Games, Plus a 
Host of Other Goodies on This Month’s CD 


F or the high-llyers out there, this month’s 
disk will have you performing loop-the- 
loops. 

You’ve read the previews, now here’s your 
chance to get some hands-on experience with 
Falcon 4.0 before it hits store shelves. We also 
have a demo of F/A-18 Korea to accompany the 
review in this issue. Look out, too, for our Wing 
Commander: Prophecy demo and experience 
CGH/’s Space Sim of the Year for yourself. 

And there’s also plenty of action for those 
who prefer to keep their feet firmly on the 
ground. Platform-gamers will fall in love with 
Abe’s Oddysee, while the strategists among you 
can revel In Deadlock II and Star Command 
Deluxe. In ASC’s Sanitarium, adventurers will 
find themselves stuck In a world gone mad, battling amnesia to discover their true selves. And final- 
ly, action gamers can test their tank-combat skills in Sony’s Tanarus. 


WING COMMANDER; PROPHECY Try your hand at 
this four-mission demo of the game CGW voted best 
space Sim of 1997. 


FALCON 4.0 Your chance to get a taste of this, the grand- 
daddy of all flight-sims, before it comes out. 



March CC-ROM Titles 


PmUCT HJIME 

sax/UB 

PlATfOBM 

oiMcnftr 

txtcmau 

CART 

13 

95 only 

CART 

mscart(1),exe 

CS Commader Longbow II SE 

6 

95 only 

CSCOMM 

setup.exe 

Deadlock II 

30 

95 only 

DEADII 

dl2_cgw.ex8 

Earthlink 

42 

Win 3,1/95 

EARTHLI 

setup.exe/setup.exe 

F/A 18: Korea 

10 

95 only 

KORDEMO 

kordemo.exe 

F‘22 Raptor 

12 

95 only 

RAPTOR 

setup.exe 

Falcon 4.0 

73 

95 only 

FALC0N40 

setup.exe 

NBA Live 98 

12 

95 only 

NBA96 

setup.exe 

Oddworid: Abe’s Oddysee 

31 

95 only 

ABEODD 

abeodd.exe 

PfiL 

12 

95 only 

TEN 

setup.exe 

Sanitarium 

74 

95 only 

SANITARI 

sanitari.exe 

Semper Fi 

15 

95 only 

SEMPERFI 

sfdemo.exe 

Star Command Deluxe 

36 

95 only 

STARCOMM 

setup.exe 

Tanarus 

8 

95 only 

TANARUS 

tan93.exe 

Wing Commander: Prophecy 

62 

95 only 

WCPDEMO 

setup.exe/wcpdemo.exe 

Wireplay 

23 

95 only 

WIREPLAY 

setup.exe 

X-Men:TRA 

24 

Win 3.1/95 

XMEN 

setup.exe 


How to Use the Disc 

T he CD is Autoplay enabled and should begin upon loading it into the CD>ROM drive. 
Otherwise, select Run from the Program Manager in Windows 3.x, or Start Menu in 
Windows 95, and type DtVRUK'ME (where D is the tetter of your CD-ROM drive) to run 
it straight from the CD. You may type D:\INSTALL to create a CGW program group on your 
Windows desktop for future fun. Many demos require the disc to be in the CD-ROM drive 
In order to run; therefor^ we recommend installing the demos from our disc. 


A Falcon 
Awesome Disc 




ccw 


MARCH 1998 








WS*RB RBCfiUmNG A BAND OF 
RBNBOADKB, FUOiTIVeB AND RBBBLS 
TO RID 






Put your violent nature to good use on the 
SION team CSpeeial Intelligence Operations 
Network) as they attempt to purge the world 
of terrorism. Select from eight of the world^s 
finest agents to complete 30 volatile missions. 
Join a team with others, or form your own. 
VIGILANCE. Intrigue. Espionage. Bloodshed. 



SINGLE PLAYER MISSIONS 
MULTI-PLAYER DEATHMATCH 
TEAM BASED PLAY 
BUY, SELL, WIN OR LOSE 




WEAPONS AND POWER-UPS 


TAKE COUNI 
TO THE NETJ 


[-TERRORISM 



Play cHalnst live 
compAltlon far free 
an www.heat:.net. 


3-0 DEVASTATION. 
Experience phato-reaiiatic 3-0 
action and environmenfea with 
the new Anyworld^ 3-D engine. 


“...one of the mast extraordinary 
games of the year.” - ultra gameplayers 


“SegaSoft's Quake killer.” -qgr 






m 

r 

— 

■IK 


_ 





GO TO #186 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 











Ce ONLIKE 


Turn to GameSpot for 
News and Reviews in 


the Fastest 
Gaming 


• Special Features 

GameSpot's Best & Worst Awards 
for 1997! 

It's that time ot year again-the 
time when we editors look back and 
evaluate what the best and worst 
products of 1997 were. When you've 
had a chance to check out the CGW 
Premier Award-winners in this issue, 
head over to GameSpot and see what 
the folks over there think. There may 
be some consensus, but we're sure 
there will also be a few surprises! 


• Demos 

GameSpot has the most thorough and 
regularly updated game demo libraries on 
the Web, You'll find demos of many of the 
games we've reviewed recently, including 
Total Annihilation, Age of Empires, Hexen II, 
7th Legion, Fallout, iF-16, Shadow Warrior, 
Shadows of the Empire, and more! 


CGW’S 
on the 


• Designer 


Ever wonder what's going on behind the scenes while 
those much-anticipated games are in development? 
GameSpot’s Designer Diaries follow the progress of game 
designers Jane Jensen, embarking on her third Gabriel 
Knight game for Sierra On-Line, and Tim Schafer, currently 
working on Grim Fandango for LucasArts, Ion Storm's Tom 
Hall also provides regular updates on his new game, 
Anachronox, 


• CGIVOniine 


Turn to CGW Online for news, 
reviews, strategy articles, and behind- 
the-scenes features on hundreds of 
top computer games. Because of our 
joint venture with GameSpot. you'll 
also see some articles posted online 
before they're in print! 

In addition, be sure to watch out for 
a major new hardware section by Loyd 
Case; The Ultimate Game Machine, 

It’s a joint venture from CGW and 
GameSpot. If you haven’t done so 
already, be sure to addwww. 
computergaming.com to 
your bookmark collection. 


Home 
Web 


• SIrategv Guides 


GameSpot strategy guides are unofficial 
game handbooks, stocked with secrets and 
step-by-step instructions on how to defeat 
each level of your favorite games. Our strategy 
guides unlock those untapped hours of game- 
play to help you get more fun for your buck. 


Quake II The eagerly awaited sequel is 
here, and GameSpot has everything you’ll 
need to battle your way through all of the sin- 
gle-player levels, discover all the secret areas, 
and conquer other players with our unbeat- 
able DeathMatch tips. 


Age of Empires Let GameSpot guide you 
through the ages. Our definitive Age of 
Empires guide offers expert advice on all units 
and buildings, and includes walkthroughs ol 
all the missions. 


Tomb Raider II While some of you may 
be quite content simply to watch Lara jump- 
ing and shooting her way across your screen, 
others may be inclined to finish the game, 
GameSpot's guide to Tomb Raider II provides 
all the tips you'll need to make it through the 
treacherous levels successfully. 


f you’re looking for the best online 
news and reviews in gaming, turn to 
the experts at GameSpot. Here's a 
brief overview of what you can 
expect on GameSpot over the next 
few weeks. To see these articles and 
others, point your browser to the ultimate 
gaming page at www.gamespot. 
coni/march98. 


- ^ 


CGW 


MARCH 199B 


GREAT SOLDIERS AREN’T BORN 


THEY’RE HADE. 


Screw natural selection. Take command of one of four unique 
clans, each vqing for supremacy on an alien planet. Crush qour 
enemies and splice their genes in qour lab to make stronger, 
more diversified warriors. Showcase your shrewd combat 
skills and resource management in single- or multiplayer mode 
over modem/LAN/Internet. With over 37,000 possible genetic 
combinations, you survive as the fittest or become extinct. 


TOP TEN REAL-TIME STRATEGY GAME -Computer Gaming World 
Visit our website at www.warbreeds.com. 



Arm your varriors with advanced bio- 
technological weaponrii;^';- ■ ^ 


Use the DNA of conquered warriors to 
create a superior clan. - - 


Locate, analyze and weaken your 
enemies by cutting off their supplies 
and resources. 


' division ol 


C1997 Biocferbund Soflw.ve, Inc. All rights reserved. WarBieeds and Red Orb Eitlert.iinnrenl are IradeniBihs o( Broderbund Solbvare. Inc. I 

GO TO #196 @ www.computergaming.com/infotink 





MmEmam 




GO TO # 177 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 

Blue Byte Software, Inc. 870 E. Higgins Road, Suite 143, S(lioumburg,IL 60173 
©1997 Blue Byte Software, Inc. All rights reserved. Source Code#MP2398 






JOHNNY WILSON 


License to Kill 


When Do Licenses Help Computer 
Games— and When Do They Hurt? 


C harles Ardai 

once slammed a 
new offering 
from a now- 
defunct publish- 
er by slating that 
it had more 
licenses to kill 
than James 
Bond. The com- 
ment was appropriate. At that time, 
the prevailing wisdom in the indus- 
try was that anyone could sell any- 
thing if it had the right license, 
Many times, those licenses were 
totally wasted, as the familiar char- 
acters from popular books, comics, 
movies, or television were pasted 
atop unimaginative games as 
though they were paper dolls. 

Remember Capstone’s Home 
Alone and Homey D. Clown? What 
about Acclaim’s Judge Dredd? It 
was even worse than the movie. 
And who could forget the inim- 
itable incompetence of Paragon’s 
Captain America and Spiderman 
Versus Doctor Doom? Fortunately, 
most of those publishers have 
learned their lessons. 

Another popular publisher ploy 
is to license a popular boardgame 
or role-playing game and convert it 
to the computer. Unfortunately, 
such projects often involve produc- 
ers who care nothing about the 
existing property and are deter- 
mined to put their "vision" on the 
computer game, even if it guts the 
spirit of the original product. 
Certainly, such was the case in 
Paragon's MegaTraveller I, 
Mindscape’s first Warhammef40K 
offering (a game so terrible it was 


never released in this country- 
though it was “reviewed’’ by our 
competition}, and the disappointing 
handling of the Magic: The 
Gathering license by MicroProse. 
Indeed, there isn’t anywhere near 
enough room on this page to list 
the travesties engendered by 
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 
products {once SSI quit publishing 
the successful "gold box” series). 

Yet, licenses can be invaiuable. 
When LucasArts quit licensing its 
hit film properties to third parlies 
and starting producing games 
based on its own Indiana Jones 
and Star Wars movies, the compa- 
ny became an industry leader 
almost overnight. Activision cruised 


^ U Licensing 


isn’t a magic 
buliet to fix 





mediocre 
properties. 77 


from bankruptcy to success with 
the MechWarrior 2 series as its 
flagship. When FASA decided to 
take its property back, Activision 
wisely found a similar license in 
Dream Pod 9’s Heavy Gear. The 
new series hasn’t started out on 
quite as high a note as the Mech- 
Warrior 2 franchise, but it has a 
rich game universe and tons of 
potential. 

Westwood Studios took a terrific 
risk when it licensed the title from 
a science-fiction film that came out 


almost 15 years ago. Yet, Blade 
Runner is, at press time, proving to 
be one of the best sellers of the 
year. EA Sports proved that celebri- 
ty licenses didn’t have to be just a 
gimmick when it gained access to 
John Madden’s old Oakland 
Raiders playbook for the original 
John Madden Football, The compa- 
ny also received plenty of consulta- 
tion with Earl Weaver for the origi- 
nal Earl Weaver Baseball. 

If you want counterexamples, 
compare the limited success of 
Sierra’s Earthsiege series with the 
MechWarrior 2 franchise, and 
don’t forget the graveyard of unli- 
censed sports games that tried to 
take on EA Sports, 

What then, makes licenses 
work? Brian Fargo, CEO of 
Interplay Productions, once lined 
out what I believe is the essential 
success formula. "For me to 
license a property," stated the 
exec, "it has to offer a rich enough 
universe that I would enjoy adven- 
turing in it myself.” Unfortunately 
for Fargo and Interplay, that state- 
ment was made to illustrate why 
Fargo had just signed a licensing 
agreement to produce a game 
based on Kevin Costner’s expen- 
sive flop, Waterworld. It is also 
unfortunate that Interplay opted to 
merely jump on the realtime band- 
wagon and fake the rich universe 


behind Waterworld's background 
story just to use it in a "Me, too!” 
product. If the producer of the 
game had held to Fargo’s vision 
and enabled gamers to really expe- 
rience the unique world behind the 
movie, it might have succeeded- 
in spite of the brand liability in the 
film’s title. 

Why do we, as gamers, want to 
experience games based on other 
properties? It is simply because we 
want to experience more of the uni- 
verse and characters that we 
enjoyed in the original property. If 
the producers and designers of the 
games negate the atmosphere of 
the original products or put charac- 
ters in situations that seem prepos- 
terous to us, they’ve done signifi- 
cant damage to our potential enjoy- 
ment of the game. However, if they 
stay consistent with the universe 
and give us an experience true to 
the feel of the original property, we 
will reward them with the praise 
that counts-conlinued purchasing 
over a full product line. 

Licensing is not a magic bullet 
to fix mediocre (or worse) proper- 
ties, but it is an important tool in 
shaping the kinds of interactive 
worlds in which gamers will want 
to piay. Licenses can be the differ- 
ence between soulless products 
and soulful products, but they have 
to be respected. % 





© 5998 ORIGIN Syslofns, Inc. Origin is a Ifadafflaik or tegisienxi iradsniarii of Origin Syslems, ine. and Wo Build Sims by the Book is a trademark or registered trademark of Electronic Arts in the U.S, snd/or other countries. All righls reserved. 





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LETTERS 


<8 


umpu 

^amii 


Editor-in*Chief 
Executive Editor 
Features Editor 
Reviews Editor 

Technical Editor 
Assodate Editors 

CG-ROM Assodate Editor 
News Editor 
Assistant Editor 
Copy Editor 
Editorial Assistant 
CG-ROM Assistant 
Editorial Intern 
Contributing Editors 


Johnny Wilson 
Ken Brown 
Denny Atkin (Simulations) 

Terry Coleman (Wargames, 
Classics/Puzzle Games) 

Dave Salvator (Hardware) 

Jett Green (Adventure, Sports) 
Elliott Chin (Action. Strategy) 

Kale Hedstfom 

Charlotte Panther 

Allen Greenberg 

Joe Valina 

Madheiv Schaefer 

Thierry Nguyen 

Tahsin Shamma 

Scorpia (Adventure Games) 

Charles Ardal (interactive Fiction) 

Loyd Case (Hardvare) 

Martirr Ctrulis (Science Fiction) 
Russell Sipe 


Art Director Dan Fitzpatrick 
Assodate Art Director Steven Wanczyk 
Web Commander Jack Rodrigues 


Production Director Carlos litgo 
Assistant Production Mgr. Marlin Walthail 
Electronic Prepress Group 
Manager Michele Kellogg 
Assistant Manager Tamara Gargus 
Technidan Roger Drake 

Address questions and (eedback to CGW Editorial, 135 Min St., 
Mth Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Or you may contact us via: 
Phone: (415)357-4900 
Editorial Fax:(415)357-4977 
CompuServe: (76TO3,822) 

Internet: 76703.622@compuserve.com: 

Web site: www.computerganiing.com 

Assodate Publisher Lee Uniacke (415) 357-4915 
East Coast Sales Manager Laura PilaniellO (212) 503-4851 
East Coast Sales Assistant Kristin Hansen (212) 503-3926 
Southwest Sales Manager Pat Walsh (714) 851-2556 
Midwest Sales Manager Marci Itimaguchi (415) 357-4944 


LETTER OF THE MONTH 


WING COMMANDER: CROTCHETY 

li)i(l niiyonc else notice tlinl tlie motliersliip 
in the Wing CoMMLNDKR: I’ROPHKCT ad on 
tile hack cover of the December 
i.ssiie loots like a large pair of gray 
pants over a pair of purple shoes? 
And just what is that control tower 
supposed to be? Looks more like a 
falhcrship to me. 

Matt Slaften- 
\ia the Internet 

Thanks for helping us sec this 
ship in a whole new light. 
E\idenily, Origin desperately 
n-anfs the game to have legs. 


FORTUNE SMELLING 

A,s a longtime CCLKsubseiiber, 1 fell the need 
to write when 1 read Martin Cinilis’ column about 
■I'ortune Telling" {CGWIf\62, p. 372), In the arti- 
cle, Mr. Cirulis points to the "sneak ])review'’’ aspect 
of this and otiier game mags and tics this in with 
review's. Essentially w'hat he is saying is lliaf wc,as 
gamers. ha\ c made it nearly impossible to gh'c a 
blockbuster game like S'lARCll'J-Ta fairrenew 
since we are so hiingr)' for infomiation and it has 
heen"pre\ icwcd" so many times already. W^at I 


1 completely agree with him that wc. the gam- 
ing public, arc far too hot for preview's and, general- 
ly, for any news of a highly anticipated title and I do 
think your magazine (and the others) are ghing us 
exactly whi\[ w'c w'ant. However, when he puls the 
fault for the trend toward prereviews on us. I take 
great offense. We arc not in any way forcing the 
magazines to say anything ahmil an upcoming title 
other than to simply show ns a few screenshots and 
give us some basic data on what features the game 
w ill have. It is the publication and all tho.se who 


think he is ignoring is something he has long railed 
about; reviewer integrity. 

He states. '‘'Hie pressure on any critic is simply 
to rubber stamp all that has been said." Huh?! 
Forgive my ignorance here hut why are favorable 
previews (of a |)roduct not completed) such a pres- 
sure to bias a review? No matter how' many good 
previews a jirodiict has gotten, if the final working 
game stinks, shouldn’t a reviewer say so? If 
S'iAtlCR\FT (for example) i,s a turkey, is Mr. Cirulis 
going to give it four or fiv'c stars just because the 
"previews" have? That’s liow tlic article reads to me, 
as if he were trying to explain “Sorry guys, I was a 
fair and honest reviewer until large sums of monev 
became involved," !s he not. by saying and impl)'- 
iiigsuch things, proving iheaccusalion that many 
gamers have held for a long time, that icvicwers 
rate games ba,scd on the amount of money (in 
advertisements mainly) the magazine makes? It 
reads that way tome. 


comment on "neat'’ or“coor sonn-to-he-released 
titles that drive this trend towani prereviews. I, for 
one, don’t w ant or need someone to tell me liow 
great a game is before it's in my hands. I read your 
prev'iews w'ith interest but I would never base my 
buv'ing decision on an incomplete product. 1 think 
most gamers feel the same, Ihc bottom line is that 
wc .sim])ly don’t Ini.';! the preview's when it comes to 
buying decisions [ireciseh’ fiecairs-eof the trend he 
talks about wiiereiii previewers cssentially‘'rcvicw" 
the game before its done. Anvoiie remcmlicr 
Oirn’OST? ecu and most of the other magazines 
gave this game lop marb in their iirevaew's and ycl 
the finished product was a clog (to say the least). 
Wliat it sounds like to me is that Mr. Cimlis is try- 
ing to shift blame from his (and his profession’s) 
mistakes to the readers, which is reprelfiisihle. 

My advice to both Mr. Cinilis and to the gam- 
ing |)iil}lications in general is this: Clean up vour 
previews! Stop telling us how great a game is when 


Silicon Valley/Northwest 
Sales Manager 
Marketing Manager 
National Account Rep 
Advertising Coordinator 
Assistant to the Publisher 
Sales Assistant 


Dru Montgomery (415) 357-4925 
Sat Sharma (415) 357-4935 
Joann Casey (415) 357-4920 
Linda Phtlapil (415)357-4930 
Linda l^n (415) 357-5425 
Tailie Conner (415) 357-5398 


HOW TO CONTACT ADVERTISING SALES 


Address inquiries to CGVv Advertising, 135 Main St., 14th Floor. San 
Francisco, CA 94105; or call (415) 357-5398, fax (415) 357-4999. 

EM 

Vice President Jon Une 
Executive Director, 

Marketing and Research Handy Cohen 
Associate Research 

Director Tedd Speck 
Creative Services Manager Francesca Koe 
Business Manager Cynthia Mason 


■ 


SIS 


call (303) 665 8930 or lax (303) 604-7455 wilhin the U S. and Canada. All oltiei 
couniriss call (303) 604-7445 or tax (303) 604-0540, or wrile to Computer Gaming, 
P.O. Box 57167, Boulder, CO 80322-3131, Ttie subsctlplion ralo is $27,94 lor one 


.iiRide lire Uniled Slates) By check or 
mon^ order 1o Back Issues Oep'I., Zifl-Oavis Publishing Co„ RO. Box 53131, 
Boulder. CO 80322-3131. 








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even \ vii don’t know for sure! Stop jump- 
ing on the h)’])e wagon (upon wliich the 
publisliers lire giving you such a comfort- 
able scat) and siinplv re[3ort the fucl^. Sa\'e 
the opinion and commentary for the fin- 
isiied product! 

It’s good business to gi\’e your customers 
what tliey want, and I don’t fault you for 
tliat. \\1ial I do fault )x)u for is pointing the 
finger at ns when you begin to show bias, 
when you should be looking in tire mirror 
and pointing thcre. 

As for telling us what to buy, as long as 
)ou do it based on actual rcu'eirsof fin- 
Ahec/product, then fine. Please do not 
insult m\’ intelligence and that of my fellow 
gamers by saying that ue're forcing )ou to 
tell us what to buy before we even can buy 
it. Tliat’s ridiculous. 

Steve Fax 
vi:i the Internet 

OiirEditor-in-Chief 
responds: Like any good coliiin- 
nisty Martin Cirnlis draws the 
issue with bold lines and arouses 
strong opinions. This column 
even bit a ner\-c with me when I 
edited it. How could the man 
who skewered CGW cover cutic 
llvmECRUiSFR SOOO and excori- 
ated the much-anticipated 
Outpost in his reviews of those 
games ewr believe that ive 
would allow sneak preview eov- 
erage to taint re\icw coivragc? 

Didn 't he notice our complete 
turnaround on PwvateI'R 2 or 
Lecesds ’98 FoontALl? Onr editorial 
policy, as Martin ktwm, requires that 
reviewers play the same final code con- 
sumers have, and that they finish the 
game. How could be believe that this 
policy allows writers to shape their 
reviews in the image of pre\iew.sF 

Martin is correct in saying that the pres- 
sure to, as many readers have put it. "pre- 
rexiew" games is verx'rcal. In blind studies 
and online feedback, many readers ha\e 
complained that our rexiem arc often too 
late to be helpful. You want earlier recom- 
mendations and often look to those of our 


competitors (who are not bound bylhe 
same restraints of rcxiexxing ftnisbed prod- 
ucts and playing the game all the way 
through) for early guidat)cc. 

I certainly agree xvitli you, though, that 
market pressure for early infonnation 
should not be an excuse to nibbcr-stamp 
preview coverage. Many readers xxrolc 
similar letters to yours asking hoxv any 
writer or publication xvilh inlegrify- could 
doso. Ihc short ansxver is. thevean’i. 
Which isxxhyxx’ercxiewcdHEWYGl'AR 
and Ui.Ti.MA OM.iNh:thc xx-aywedid— 
and rated them at 2.5 and 1.5, respectively. 

Here's hoping letters like yours help all 
of us in the busine.ss of cox vring games 
focus on carchil, sane coxerage based on 
playing xvorking code. I xxonld xxelcomc 
such a countcrrcrolution. 


ZIFF-OAVIS PUBLiSHING COMPANY 



DIABLO 
IS IN THE DETAILS 

In our February cover 
story on Diablo II, we 
inadvertently placed 
the target release 
date during the winter 
of 1997-98, Actually, 
the game is sched- 
uled to ship In late 
1998. We apolo- 
gize for the hell- 
ish mistake. 



We prefer Siat you email us at 
one of &ese addresses: 

CompuServe: 76703,622 
Internet; 76703.622@ 




Vice Presidents 


tofk Moyer (ConifoliB) 
Tlinolliy O'Brien (Chief Fin; 


Treasurer 


(Chief Financial Officer] 
Daryl R, Otte (PlanniriB) 

Thomas L. Wright 


Executive Director, Licensing 
Director, ZD Labs 
Director, Benchmark Operation 


Claude Sheer (U.S, Publications) 

Don Byrnes 
Jack Dolce 
Al DiGuido 
Thomas McGtade 
Baird Davis iCkcuIatlon] 

Bob Bader {Central Advertising Sales) 
Chris DobbtiM 
John Dodge 

Roger Herrmann (Production) 

Jon Lane 

Jim Manning (Marketing Services) 
Michael J. Miller 
Nancy Newman 

James K fiamaley (Circulation Services) 
Paul Somerson 

Mark Wn Name (Product Testing) 

Sam Whitmore 
Gertrud Borchardt 
Mark Hall 
Bill Calchings 




Vice Presidents 


Editorial Director, New Products 

EX 

President, ZD Brand and Market 
President, Computer Intelligence 
Vice President, ZD Brand 
Vice President, ZD Research 
Director, Corporate Relations 
Executive VP, Corporate Sales 
Executive Director, Sales and Marketing 


Jeffrey Ballovva 
David Shnaider 

Daniel Rosenswelg (President, ZDNet) 
Daniel Farber (EdIlof-in-Chief, ZONel) 
Richard Ftshef(ZDTV) 

Jim Louderback (EdilorlaJ Director, ZDTV) 
James Savage (General Manager, ZDNet) 
Bill Machrone 


Terri Holbrooke 
Bob Brown 
Herb Stem 
Elda Vale 
Gregory Jarboe 
Joe Gillespie 
Mike Perkowski 




Executive Directors Jeff Bruce 

Scott Murphy 


Ifen Beach 
Michael Bird 
Dan Daly 
Melinda Maginn 
Robin Kolsky 
Debbie Moss 
Julie Tuttle 


Associate Network Directors 


cc)mpuserve.com 

1 ComDUtan I 

Or write to the following address 

Gdiiii(f|}' 

1 Reprints | 

CGW', Letters to the Editor 


135 Main Street, Htii Floor 


San Francisco, CA 94105 


W'e resaw die right to edit all 


letters for space or clarih'. 



iMiiMiiiintiiiiiiiHJimna 

COMPUTER GAMING WORLD (ISSN 07‘14'6667) Is published monthly by Ztfl-Davis. 

Copyright 199B Zill-Davis, All Rights Reserved. Material in this publication 
may not be reproducect in any form without permission. If you want to quote 
from an article, write to Charlal Tucker, One Park Avenue, New 'itrk, NY 10016- 
5802, or fax 212-503-5420, 

Far reprints, please call Ziff-Davis reprints at (800) B25-4237. 

Computer Gimlng Hfertf is notalfilialed wllh lOG. 


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The Latest News From the Computer Gaming World 


Edited by Charlotte Panther {CPanther®zd.com) 


nnicrosoft Plays to Win 

With Several New Titles In the Works, Microsoft Looks Serious About Games 



A fter the success of 
Age of Empires and 
CART Precision 
Racing, Microsoft is 
determined to show 
gamers that its win- 
ning titles aren’t just 
tiukes. I took a trip 
to see the folks at Microsoft recently 
and found the company’s games 
division hard at work on several titles 
that are scheduled to ship in the 
coming months. 

Microsoft may be placing its heav- 
iest bets on Urban Assault and 
OuTWARS. Both stir the action shooter 
pot with elements from other genres. 
Urban Assault (previously code- 
named Anarchy) is similar to 3D0’s 
Uprising: It’s an action game set 
in a war-torn future with intense 
combat and some strategy ele- 
ments thrown in for variety. 

While the Interface Is currently 
being overhauled, the gameplay 
is sound, with plenty of pulse- 


pounding, force-leedback 
action for the shooting junkie. 
The strategy (resource man- 
agement and unit commands) 
adds an extra dimension to 
gameplay, but Microsoft 
promises that the game will 
be full of pyrotechnics and 
swarming enemies. 

The second title, Outwars, 
begs comparison to Tomb 
Raider and MDK. It will try to 
distinguish itself with squad- 
level gameplay, wherein you 
traverse 


PRETTY VIOLENT Expect heavy doses of rapid- 
fire combat mixed with a little strategy in Urban 
Assault (center and bottom). 


alien-intested warzones 
and bases with Al- 
controlled squad- 
mates by your side. 
Puzzle elements 
will ensure that 
your brain doesn’t 
atrophy while play- 
ing, but for the most 
part, this game will try 
to throw lots of action at 
you. The squadmates element 
seems to be this game’s best shot 
at snagging an audience; each 
squadmate will have its own Al, 
and will behave realistically (shoot 
them in the back too many times 
and they’ll go after you). 

Both of these action titles vi 
have full support (or force-feedback 
joysticks and 3D acceleration. 
Urban Assault is slated for an early 
summer release, while Outwars 
should be available this spring. 

Microsoft also has two new 
strategy titles In the works. The 


BUG HUNT Outwars Is a 
squad-level exterminator game 
that’s equal parts Tomb 
Raider, MOK, and Starship 


company Is working with Age of 
Empires developer Ensemble 
Studios, and although the company 
refused to offer details, we have a 
feeling that our empires will see a 
tew more ages. On a more immedi- 
ate front, Ensemble has completed a 
patch for Age of Empires that greatly 
enhances Al and unit pathfinding, 
and also blows away the unit limit. 

Racing fans won’t be left out 
either-Microsoft assures us that 
another racing title is in the works, but 
no one at the company would reveal 
any further information at press time. 

In my visit with Microsoft, I saw 
plenty of solid titles (and I sneaked 
peeks at several even cooler games in 
progress). This leads me to believe 
that Microsoft has finally gotten its 
gaming act together. -£///o/f Chin 


ccw 


MARCH 






StarCraft Update 

Its Been Delayed, But StarCraft Looks WoTth the Walt 



T he launch party tor 1997’s most anticipated 
real-time strategy game turned into a con- 
solation prize for the press and members of 
the public who were lucky enough to be invited. 

StarCraft wasn’t ready to ship for the party, but that 
didn’t stop Blizzard from showing its real-time game at 
the Wizards of the Coast entertainment center in Seattle. 

Although the single-player component wasn’t on display, 
Blizzard did demonstrate StarCraft's multiplayer combat on 
battle.nef, with great results. Each alien race proved itself to 
be unique and full of surprises. While Blizzard had seemed 
optimistic about meeting its intended end-of-year 1997 


release date, some minor 
tweaks in unit path-finding 
and Al were apparently 
needed. Blizzard admitted 
as much when, shortly 
after the party, it an- 
nounced that the release 
date had been pushed to the 
end of January 1998. Still, the 
game looks good, and we had to be 
pried away from our computers at the end of 
the night. Although StarCraft still needs a little polishing. 
Blizzard says it is taking the extra time to ensure that the 
game lives up to expectations. I wish more game companies 
would do the same.-f/M Chin 


IS 

s 

U) 

u 

> 

re 

£ 


Core gamers: 



How much do 
computer gamers earn? 



Casual Core 

gamers: gamers; 

$16/month $60.36/nionth 


How much do computer 
users spend on games? 


Source: The Strategy Group. 1997 


^^Eidsa Interactive 

announced a deal with game 
developer and publisher. 
Square Co. Ltd., to acquire 
the exclusive North American 
and European rights to publish 
FifiAL Fantast Vlt-the latest 
installment of the best-selling 
role-playing game franchise- 
lor the PC. Released for the 
PlayStation last year, FFVtl sold 
over 3.2 million units in Japan, 
making it the best-selling game 
on that platform. The PC ver- 
sion is scheduled for release 
this summer. 



►►►Ion Storm recently 
announced that CEO Mike 
Wilson would be leaving the 
company to pursue a new 
interactive game publishing 
venture. Wilson will join several 
top-level developers to form a 
new profit-sharing game com- 
pany. The new company will be 
known as g.o.d (Gathering 
of Developers). John Romero 
will assume the title of CEO of 
Ion Storm. : 

►►►Fox Interactive has 

teamed up with Fox Sports 
to launch a new line of sports 
products, including Fox Sports 
Hockey, Golf, Tennis, and 
Soccer under the brand name 
Fox Sports Interactive. 

The games will be supported 
by a number of major partners 
and endorsements, including 
the National Hockey League 
and the National Hockey 
Players Association. British 
game developer Gremlin has 
also signed a long-term agree- 
ment to develop products for 
the new division. 






I-War Goes 
International 


W hile U.S. gamers have slim pickings on 
space sims that put you in anything big- 
ger than a fighter (only Battlecruiser 
3000 and Starfleet Academy come to mind), 
gamers in Europe have the fortune to be playing I- 
War. This sleeper space sim places you in com- 
mand of a 150-meter corvette on the side of the 
Commonwealth, warring against the 
Independents, a faction of rebels that wants to 
establish its own government. The sim is being 
hailed for its extremely realistic flight model, 
which models mass, inertia, acceleration, and 
other physics concepts that are often glossed 
over in space sims. 

I-War was developed by Particle Systems, and 
distributed throughout Europe by Infogrames, 
Although negotiations were still in progress at 
press time, indications suggest that Activision will 
pick up the title for the U.S. release. Slated for 
first quarter ’98, the U.S. version will include 
some extra features, namely multiplayer capability 
and 3Dfx-acceleration (although the game already 
looks phenomenal in software). Gamers in Europe 
are raving about I-War's complexity of gameplay, 
realistic flight model, and awesome graphics-it 
looks as if Wing Comiyiander: Prophecy may have 


some competition on its hands. 

The game will be released under 
a different name over here, as “I- 
War" is already trademarked in the 
U.S. by fWiu.-Thierfy Nguyen 


Near-Total Annihilation? 

GT Interactive/ MicroProse Merger Falls Flat 

E veryone on Wall Street seems to have an opinion about the “annulled marriage" of MicroProse and 
GT Interactive. But when we cut through all the spin doctoring, C61V found that the merger broke otf 
due to a fundamental difference: how each company writes off its research and development costs. 
MicroProse uses the more typical approach for game pubiishers. For example, when Ultimate Civ II ships 
this summer, MicroProse will pay the developer, and write off those fees that quarter— taking the revenue 
"hit" immediately. In a similar situation, GT, on the other hand, will amortize the developer fees over a longer 
period of lime. The GT approach can put a better bottom line on paper in the short run, but if, say, more 
than a single product’s sales are below expectations, the company could feasibly show huge losses down 
the line. This is not the first time such accounting differences have been divisive among game publishers. 
R)rbes magazine once wrote that Sierra was playing “adventure games” with its books for writing otf debts 
using the entertainment industry method that GT uses. Sierra changed its accounting procedure several 
years ago. 

In the end, the two companies could not come to a compromise between the two methods, and a split 
ensued. In the long term, the non-merger may end up benefiting MicroProse more than GT. We'll know for 
sure once Falcon 4.0 ships. -Terry Coleman 







Short takes on games and hardware released just prior to press time. 


WARWIND II 

With the couple bazillion real- 
time strategy games that have been 
released of late, many will be lost in 
the deluge. Let’s hope WarWind II won't be one 
of them. While not 
exactly on the 
genre's cutting 
edge. WarWind II 
has unique, enter- 
taining gameplay 
that offers four 
separate cam- 
paigns for over 46 
different scenar- 
ios. Gamers will 


have to carefully consider how to 
use limited troops, since the game 
doesn't allow you to just churn out 
units, In addition to the first game's 
aliens, two human factions have 
ioined the conflict 
along with new units 
and indigenous ani- 
mal life that you can 
tame to aid your 
cause. 

—Robert Cofley 

Strategic Simulations, Inc, 
( 408 ) 737 - 6800 . 

WWW. warwind. com 
PC CD-ROM 


CHAOS 
ISLAND 

Something has 
survived all right: 
the need for 
Dreamworks to 
license anything 
and everything lo do with Jurassic Park: The bst 
World. Chaos Isuno, though, is well worth the 
purchase for youngsters who need their latest 
dinosaur fix. The graphics are pretty good (espe- 
cially the landscapes), but the main selling point 


ccw 


MARCH r998 






s 


Jane’s Combat Gifts 


T he Origin Skunkworks team has three patches in the 
works for devoted Longbow fans. Owners of 3D cards 
not based on 3Dfx Voodoo chips will be happy to 
hear that the Longbow 2 team has created a DirectSD patch 
for the simulation. Because so many 3D cards don’t support 
many of the features used by Longbow 2, however, the sup- 
port will only be for certain high-end cards. First to be sup- 
ported wiil be the nVidia RiVA 128 chipset. 

A 3Dfx patch is also in the works for Longbow Gold for 
Win 95. Although the graphics won't match the detail of 
Longbow 2. the patch should make for much faster frame 


rates, as well as improved visual effects from bilinear fiiter- 
ing, better shadows, and an improved sky. 

Finaiiy, hard-core Longbow 2 fans wiil want to download 
the Ultimate Longbow 2 Campaign Challenge, a modified ver- 
sion of the Azerbaijan campaign that replaces all the enemy 
Iranian combat equipment with the latest Russian hardware. 
Jane’s Combat Sims' Andy Hollis promises “if you can make 
it through this one, you are truiy one of the elite.’’ 

Ail of these patches, as well as a new matchmaking ser- 
vice for online Longbow 2 piay, can be found at www. 
janes.ea.com. — Denny Alkin 



is the real-time engine coupled with the 
excitement of hatching Stegosaurus 
and directing characters from the 
movie. I have to admit, this game 
brought back the feeling of wielding my 
action figures over imaginary land- 
scapes. It’s not as sophisticated as 
some mission-based real-time games, 
but it’s great fun for those who loved 
the movie. —Tahsin Shamma 
Dreamworks Interactive, 

(800) 428-5331 
www.dreamworksgames.com 
Win 95 CD-ROM 

CONSTRUCTOR 

CoNSTWCTOR treads on familiar terri- 
tory, allowing gamers to build and man- 


age a city from the ground up. The 
game offers an element of humorous 
complexity, however, by requiring the 
player to interact with the individuals 
who inhabit the game world. Players 
must keep tenants in line by 
maintaining their houses, r ^ 
dealing with their com- 
plaints, and sometimes ^ 
even intimidating them into j 
submission. Up to four 
Machiavellians can compete 
through networked play, to see 
who can run the best city 
white ruthlessly sending hip- 
pies, gangsters, and psy- 
chotics to harass their ene- 
mies. Be forewarned that the 


required reading of the manual may not 
pay off in the gameplay. 

-Matthew Schaefer 

Acclaim, (516)759-7800 
www.acclaimentertainment.com 
PC CD-ROM 




►►>CoQsidering the huge fol- 
lowing The X-Files has estab- 
lished over the last couple of 
years, you’d expect licensing 
kings Fox Interactive to be 
publishing X-Files products by 
the dozen. 8ut, as of press 
time, there wasn't a single X- 
FUes CD-ROM on the market. 

II looks like that will change 
this summer when Fox releas- 
es the X-Files adventure game, 
developed by Hyberbole 
Studios (Quantum Gate, 
Vortex) in cooperation with 
Chris Carter. The game's 
release is scheduled to coin- 
cide with the premiere of the 
X-Files movie. In the mean- 
time, though. Fox does have a 
little leaser for those requiring 
a Scully and Mulder fix: X- 
Files; UNRESTflicrEO Access. 
This multimedia producl- 
basically a database for chron- 
ically obsessed X-F/fers-is 
stuffed with full-motion video, 
shots, sound biles and all the 
information you could ever 
want to know about the series. 
Using Microsoft Internet 
Explorer as a browser, it allows 
you to [eat through over 90 
case files and 600 dossiers 
covering the first four seasons 


m 


of the show. And, as season 
five progresses, fans can con- 
nect to a special XFUAWeb 
site to download weekly 
updates and add to their data- 
base. XFUA also includes a 
Desktop Designer with screen- 
savers, wallpaper, icons, 
sounds, and X-Files trivia fac- 
toids. It should be on store 
shelves by the lime you’re 
reading this. 



HARCH 1998 


ccw 





» 



Compatible 


ASC Games"' Is a irademarti of American Sottworks Corporation. 0 1997 Amaricnn Soltworks Corporation. The BMQ logo is a trademark of BMG Music. The OMA logo Is a trademark of AssIstamouiM Ltd. 
Used under license from BMG Interactive Inlemalional, a unit of BMG EnlerlaInmenl. ©1997AssislarrKXint Ltd- Windovrs® 95 Is registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The ratings icon Isa trademark 
of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All rights reserved. 


“want some? Then get the 
3ob done right! I prefer 
sleek, fast cars with 
room in the back. Know 
what I mean!?*’ 


It started with my baby 
sister's doll house, and well... 
it just went from there!” 


cars 
me a rush. 


gives 

me a rush." 


It’s ® 




“l durmo v/liat’s so special here. Using 

It's a game about everyday flame thrower about three 

life, ain't it?” on a rival gang things - fast cara, 

just gives me that easy money and. . . 
warm and iUzzy fast cars, 

feeling all over." 


Must Be 18 Or Older 


GO TO #248 @ www.compulergaming.com/infoIink 


http;//www.ascgames.com 


Talonsoft Signs Hall- 
gf-Famer Gary Grigsby 


But the Famed Designer Also tnks New SSI Deal 


G ary Grigsby is one of the 
few game designers 
whose career spans Ihe 
entire history of the industry, It’s 





HOT PROPERTY: Industry 
veteran Gary Grigsby has 
been contracted to do 
Steel Panthers IV for SSI 
as well as Battle of 
Britain 1941 for 
Talonsoft. 


been a real adjustment for 
someone who witnessed the 
advent of CGA graphics to 
adjust to Windows 95 and 
Internet gaming, but the suc- 
cess of his recent designs, such 
as the Steel Panthers series, 
shows that Grigsby still has a 
few surprises hidden away in 
the old hexgrid. 

In fact, Grigsby is very much 
in demand. Just after TalonSoff 
announced that Grigsby had 
signed a deal for Bahle of 
Britain 1941 (scheduled for an 
August 1998 reiease)-a strate- 
gic-level air game similar to 
Grigsby's venerable USAF on 
the Apple. CGW discovered that 
Grigsby has also been contract- 
ed to do Steel Panthers IV tor 
SSI (to be released in 1999), 

Grisgby's co designer for both 
games will again be Keith Brors, 
with whom Gary has enjoyed suc- 



cess since Steel Paijthers (and 
who often doesn't get the respect 
that he deserves). That Grigsby 
and Brors are designing games 
for both TalonSoft and SSI is a 
sign that the competition between 
the two main wargame publishers 
is heating up. Of course, it these 
games are anywhere near the 
quality of CGWs 1995 Wargame 
of the Year, S^el Panthers, or 
CGWHall-of-Famer Kampfgruppe, 
it’s gamers who stand to benefit 
the most. -Terry Coleman 



EVOLUTtON r 

When the booklet that comes -i 

Discovery Channel Multimedia, 


(800) 780-6044 


with a game is both more enter- 

http://multimedia.discovery.com 

taining and more educational than 
the product it supports, there’s a problem. 

PC CD-ROM 

CO 

And the Discovery Channel's new strategy 

STREETS OF SIM CITY ' 


title, Evolution, sure has problems. Players 

In this game, you drive around ^ ^ 

your own SimCity 2000 city in mis- ^ 
sions that require you to either eliminate the 
opposition Of perform other tasks. This style of 
game has not only been done before (Interstate 
' 76), it's been done better. A few minutes of 
gameplay and you’ll realize that this game is nei- 
ther as involving nor sophisticated as l-'76. 

—Tahsin Shamma 

Maxis, (800) 336-2947 
www.maxis.com 

Win 95 CD-ROM 

H- 

must nudge their species up the evolutionary 
ladder while contending with rival species 
and a constantly changing (and frequently 
hostile) planet. It may sound good, but in 
practice it's a dull exercise in non-controi and 
waiting, dominated by non-events. A thor- 
oughly unfriendly interface does an incredible 
job of standing directly between the gamer 
and what little enjoyment there is to be had. 
Evolution is extinct upon arrival. 

-Robert Coffey 


iji jjimg 


Aces: X'Fighlers Sierra 

Fall 96 

Air Warrior Hi Kesmai/I-Uagic 

3/98 

Asheron's Call TurbinefMicrosoli 

Summer 98 

Baldur's Bate interplay 

4/98 

Battle ol Britain 1941 Talonsod 

8/98 

Batllezone Activision 

Summer 98 

Creatures II Mindscape 

11/93 

Dalkalana ion Storm/Eidos 

3198 

Deep Six Virgin 

Spring 98 

Descent Freespace Interplay 

5/98 

DPke Nukem Forever Apogee/30 Realms 

6198 

Earthslege 3 Sierra 

4198 

Earthworm Jim 3 Intemlay 

6/98 

European Air War MicroProse 

5/98 

Falcon 4.0 MicroProse 

3/98 

Fighter Duel 2 Ocean 

Spring 98 

Final Fantasy VII Squaresoft 

4/98 

Freedom In the Galaxy Avalon Hill 

10/98 

Gualdalcanal Avalon Hill 

Summer 98 

Guardians: Agents oiJuslIce MicroProse 

4/98 

Half-Life \^lve/Slerra 

3/98 

Hardball 6 Accolade 

3/98 

IF-/A-1B Interactive Magic 

4/98 

lA-IO Warlhog Interactive Magic 

Fall 98 

Interslale 77 Activision 

3/98 

iPanzer 44 Interaclive Magic 

3/98 

Jagged Alliance II Sir-Tech 

4/98 

Jane's F-15 Jane's/ EA 

Spring 98 

King’s Quest: Mask of Eternity Sierra 

3/98 

M-1 Tank Platoon 11 MicroProse 

3/98 i 

MAX II Interpl^ 

3/93 

MechCommander MicroProse 

4/98 1 

MechWarrior III MicroProse/FASA 

Winter 98 

MIG Alley Empire 

Summer 98 

Mights Magic VI NewVi^r(d/3DO 

Spring 98 

01 Light & Darkness interplay 

3/98 

Operational Art of War TalonSoft 

Spring 1998 

Panzer Commander SSI 

6/98 

Prey Apogee/3D Realms 

Winter 98 

Quest For Glory V Sierra 

Spring 98 

Reach tor the Stars II Microsoft/ SSG 

Summer 98 

Rodguard Bethesda 

Spring 98 

Redline Accolade 

5/98 

Return to Krondor Sierra 

Winter 98 

Revolution Fenris Wolf/GT Interactive 

Winter 98 

Secret of Vulcan Fury Interpl^ 

3/98 

Shies SegaSolt 

Summer 93 

Sanitarium ASC Games/DreamForge 

4/98 

Sid Meier's Alpha Centaurl Riaxis/EA 

Summer 98 

SimCIly 3000 Maxis 

Spring 98 

Sin Activision 

3/98 

Soldiers at War ssi 

3/98 

Sorry Hasbro 

3/98 

Squad Leader Big Time/Avalon Hill 

Winter 98 

Star Trek: First Contact MicroProse 

Summer 98 

Stralego Hasbro 

Fall 98 

$u-27 Flanker 2.0 SSI 

8/98 

Tae Ops '98 Avalon Hill 

4/98 

Trespasser: Jurassic Park DreamWorls 

Spring 93 

Ubik Cryo 

4/98 

Uillma iX Origin/EA 

Winter 98 

Ulllmale Civ 11 MicroProse 

5/98 

Uprising Cyclone Studios 

Winter 97 

VR Baseball '98 Interplay 

Spring 98 

Waffireeds Red Orb 

3/98 

WarCrali Advenlures Blizzard 

4/98 

Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gale SSI 

6/98 

Warhammer: Dark Omen EA 

3/98 

Wizardry VIII Sir Tech 

Mid 98 

X-FItes Adventure Game Fox interactive 

Summer 98 


A 


cow 


MARCH 1998 





Moo II’ 




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^W^ANDERING 
BETWEEN TWO 
(RUDSy ONE DEAD 


Sanitarium'^'^ is a trademark of American Softworks Corporati(^ 
is a trademark of American Softworks Corporation. Sanilariurn^ 
Corporation. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Dij 



Spiraling 


OUT OF THE VOID, 



YOU OPEN YOUR EYES 


AND STRUGGLE 


TO UNDERSTAND. 


A SHOCKINGLY disturbing 

ADVENTURE 


m L>rcEA;viFORfiE 




GAMES J 


'.v.TiV«ascgan,es.con j 
GO TO p 233 ® 'A'A^v.cornauteljaining.corn,. '111/01(1111 ' 


v\ni'av iNVc; 




ILLUSTRATION; NATHAN OTA 


Cracking 

thCodes 



501 Underhanded Ways to 
Cheat Your Way to Victory 


Y ou're under the gun 
and things don’t look 
good. Fifty Shang vil- 
lagers are beating on 
your poor Choson axe- 
men in Age of Empires. 
Overwhelming odds are making 
you reconsider your decision to 
embrace the Light Side of the 
Force in Jedi Knight. You keep 


Compiled by 

Tahsin Shamma 


dying in Star Trek; Borg and you 
really, really want to move on to 
a more interesting game. What 
will you do? What will you do? 

Cheat, that’s what! Luckily for you, 
game programmers usually slip in a 
few magical codes that can give you 
the power to kill all your enemies in a 
single keypress, open doors, heal 
wounds, or even turn back time! The 
biggest problem with these wonderful 
cheats, however, is finding out what 
they are. Well, have no fear, we’ve 
taken the time to search out every 
cheat code known to man (or ogre), 
and they’re all listed right here. After 
all, there’s nothing wrong with cheat- 
ing— just don’t get caught... 



CCW MARCH 199B 


ADVENTURE/RPG 


Betrayal in Antara 

Press Ctrl-Shilt'Z to bring up a winrlow, 

then type in these codes: 

1 . some call me llm Kills all enemies 

2. supermarket lor the rich Brings up 

inventory lull ol weapons, armor, vials 

3. Why am I so dull Maximizes stats 

4. gotta have magic Aren learns all spells 

5. ask a glass ol water Teleports party to 

beginning oi chapter 

6. man does my leg hurt Heals party 

Monty Python and the 
Quest for the Holy Grail 

7. Type uranus at the options screen just 
after you start a new game to travel 
anywhere immediately. 

6. Type lobstergirl at the screen just after 
you run away to get the hidden sub- 
game. 

9. Type allclips in the Book of the Game to 
see all the video clips on the Grail Vision 
page. 

Statlrek: BORG 

10. Type in obey to skip to the next 
challenge point. 

11. Type in borg or hugh to skip to the parts 
where you are a Borg. 


SPORTS 


FIFA 97 

For these to work, you need to set your 
system date back to February 29, 1997. 
Select the Singapore team and type these 
while playing. 

12. cantona Enables player to do a flying 

kick to a spectator 

13. kayu Referee wears only underwear 

14. belong Gets players Abbas Saad and 

Michael Vana 

15. laochiao Gets players Quah Kim Song 

and Doilah Kassim 

16. ith Opponents forced to own goal 

Formu/a 1 

Save a game using these names, then 
start a quick race and abandon it. The 
effect should then work. 



17. speedy Enables the bonus track 

18. muzfrank Changes in-game voices 

19. ashcakes Lava mode 


NHL 97 

Press Shift and type WAGD 
to enable cheats 


20. h 

21. V 

22. p 

23. g 

24.0 

25.1 

26. f 

27. t 

28. Sbilt-t 

29.1 

30.2 

31.4 

32.5 

NHL98_ 


Home team scores a goal 
Visiting teams scores a goal 
Ends period 
Ends game 
Goes into overtime 
Causes an Injury 
Causes a fight 
Shrinks players 
Enlarges shrunken players 
Two-minute penalty Is called 
Four-minute penalty Is called 
Five-minute penalty is called 
Penalty shot 


Type in these codes while playing. 

33. mantis Gives players elongated arms, 
legs, and necks 
Makes players kidsize 
Gives home team a goal 
Gives away team a goal 
Causes a penalty 
Causes an Injury 


34. nhihids 

35. homegoal 

36. awaygoal 

37. penalty 
38. iniury 


39. zamho Puts the zamboni on the Ice 

40. victory Starts fireworks over the rink 

41 . flash Camera flashes from the stands 

42. spots Turns on pregame spotlights 

43. check Every player automatically 

body-checks an opposing 
player to the ice upon contact. 

44. grab Similar to CHECK but with 

a stick hold instead of a check 

45. eaeao Gives you the EA Blades team 



MARCH 1998 


ccw 






Diomond Monster 3D 


Hercules Stingray 128 


Malrox Mystique 220 


Matrox Millenium II 

EOS 

Creative Labs Graphics Blaster 
7a.a 


ATI has the winning cards. Witness the 
industry's most recent awards from PC 
Magazine, PC World, PC/Computing and 
Boot, and ATI's partnership with the top 
ten OEMs. ATI's ace is our award-winning 
XPERT products available in both PCI or AGP Gamers go 
berserk over XPERT@Play!5 3D features and performance, 
TV-out and video playback. Not to be outdone. 
XPERT@Work delivers maximum levels of business 
productivity with Industry leading 2D, 3D and video 
acceleration. And don't forget to add on ATI-TV ATIls 
TV tuner card. Everyone loves a winner - and that's ATI. 

ATI is setting the new standard In 2D and 3D 
performance. Now ATI is even faster with the latest 
ATI RAGE PRO drivers. Check out our website at 
www.atitech.com/cgw 
for information about j 
ATIS most recent awards. ! jRftTwaS""-* - 

I? TH r 


POWERED BV 


3D Performance Comparison - ZD 3D Winbench98 




ftiliilnliitilliiliiliiliililiiliir 


TmePlayS? 


At the main screen, hit Ctrl>F1 . This 
gives you a box in which to enter cheats. 

56. horny elk leer Maximum range 

radar 

57. o’sarge Gives the training 

mission sergeant an Irish accent 


58. redtop trod Play any mission 

59. rotted drop Press Ctrl-f for 

heavy damage 

60. brass clue Press Ctrl-z for full 

ammunition 

61. had a nude on Press Ctrl-i 

for invincibility 

62. half libel Press Ctrl-b to teieport 

63. oh no! less japan Press Ctrl-x 

for Ion Strike 


To play in the alternate stadiums, go to 
the Stadium Select screen and press the 
arrow keys (r = right, I = left, u = up, 
d = down) in the following sequences: 

46. r, I, u, I, d, r, 1 Mystery Stadium 

47. u, d, r, u, d, 1, u Cornfield 

48. To hit a monster home run, hold down 
the 1, 2, and 7 number keys while swinging, 

Triple Play 98 

49. 1 21 2- Glrl Lets you play as the 

Electronic Arts Dream Team 

50. 1212- Clrl 21 Gives you access to 
three new stadiums: The Cornfield, 
Ebbets Field, and the Polo Grounds 

51. 1212- Shilt-Clrl EA Dream Team 


plays in their underwear 


F/AW Korea 


64. To take the tactical nuclear bombs 


SIMULATION/SPACE 


Advanced TacticalMhters 

52. At the main screen, press Ail'Shift-CIrl 
on the right side of the keyboard. This will 
make every plane available to you. 


along on any mission, first set each pylon 
to read Empty. Then click the right of the 
Empty row until a red X appears. Now you’ll 
be able to mount two nukes on your wing 
pylons. 

MecliWarrior 2: Mercenaries 


ComancheJ 

During flight press R, then type the 
fallowing commands and hit Enter: 

53. catO Existing damage disappears (only 
works with nonfatal attacks) 

54. ipig Weapon loading becomes faster 

55. ralz Become invisible for 30 seconds 


Hold down Ctri'All-Shift while typing 
these codes: 

65. superfunkicalifragisexy Invulnerability 

66. iseenllreandiseenrain Toggles 

unlimited ammo 

67. ooohhhillaaalllaaa Toggles 

heat-tracking 

68. itsdabOQomb Nukes targeted Mech 


69. inmybeautifulbalioon Instantly adds 

jumpjets to your Mech 

70. redjackandlikrules Destroys 

targeted Mech 

71 . Ilkethecomstarbaby Successfully 

completes mission 

72. ontimeeverylime Toggles time 

compression 

73. crazysexycoQ] Toggles infinite 

jumpjets 

74. heholdmyglory Free-eye mode 

75. antijolt Toggles time expansion 

76. fiashyflashy Toggles autogrouping 


Privateer 2: The Darkening 

Use Alt'N to enter the navigations display 
during ship flight. 1Vpe I for find and then 
enter the following codes: 

77. rep me up 


Repairs ship armor and 
shields to 100 percent 
Refilled afterburner fuel 
Reduces laser 
temperature to 0 
Get infinite nukes 
Invincibility 
The cheat codes last until you land at a 
station or planet. 


78. pety pety 

79. chili out 


86. napalm 
81.no talent 


STRATEGY 


Ageofimpires 

Type these into the chat dialogue: 

82. diediedie All units die 

83. resign You resign 

84. reveal map Reveals the whole map 

85. pepperonl pizza Gives 1000 food 

86. coinage Gives 1000 gold 

87. Woodstock Gives 1000 wood 



88. quarry Gives 1000 stone 


f AGE OF EMPIRES What Strange mounts hath 
the Shang unleased upon the Emperor's forces? 






OEATH-OEFYIMG JUMPS 








1^^ 

Hi 



9 












Heroes of Might & Magic It ^ 

Using the following codes will brand 
you a cheater after you win. 

125. 911 Instantly win current scenarl 
126.1313 Instantly lose current scenarl 
127. 32167 Gives the selected her 
live black dragon 
128. 8675309 Reveals the entire maf 
129. To access the debug mehu, ad 
INWC to your Heroes II command line 
The llnal program command shoul 
read ‘Heroes2W.exe INWC 

Imperium Gal 

While in the gam 
type karoly— this 
codes. 

130. C A 

131. V 

Master of Bril 
Battle at Anti 

During play, hold 
typing these codt 

132. canbonlyl 

aclica 

i, hold down Shift and 
will activate the cheat 

II colonies and inventions 
3ives you 100,000 credits 

w II: 
ires 

down the All key while 
is: 

Computer players unite 
against you 



89. no fog Removes the Fog of War 
go.harikari Commit suicide 

91 . medusa Viilagers become medusas 

(when medusas die. they become 
black riders; when black riders die, 
they become heavy catapults) 

92. photon man Gives you futuristic soldier 

93. gala Allows you to control animals 

94. flying dutchman Changes your 

juggernauts into flying dutchmen, 
allowing them to fly over land 

95. steroids Gives all units and all upgrades 

96. home run You win scenario 

97. kill# Defeats the player at 

starting position tf 

98. bigdaddy Gives you a guy in a 

car with a rocket launcher 

Birthright: 

The Gorgon's Alliance 

During play, hit F3 and enter the fallowing 
codes: 

99. synoash Gives you 500 gold bars 

100. synadv To play any adventure 



w BLOOD AND MAGIC New creatures are a cheat 
I away, but the computer gets one, too. 


Blooil and Magic 


Hold down Alt while typing these codes. 
Any creatures you create will be given to 
the computer as well. 


101. log?whatlog? 

Shows entire map 

102. boost 

Maximum mana 

103. elminster 

All research options 

104. shadow 

Wraith 

105. body guard 

Guardian 

106. smog 

Wyrm 

107. yogi 

Ranger 

100. concrete 

Stone golem 

109. acolyte 

Basal golem 

110. lather 

Cleric 


111. wolverine 

Druid 

112. lalal altractlon 

Fury 

113. Hying monkeys 

Gargoyle 

114. raise dead 

Ghoul 

115. alasha 

Gnome 

116. merv 

Griffin 

117. needs food badly 

Warrior 

110. merlin 

Wizard 

110. dead flesh 

Zombie 

120. mlcrosqulsh 

Juggernaut 


These three work only on the Harvest of 
Horrors levels when you play as Redfang 
the Reaper: 

121. mother in law Harpy 

122. gremlin Enchanter 

123. jareth Goblin 

Dungeon Keeper 

124. During gameplay, press the Enter key 
on the numeric keypad for a cheat menu. 


133. crunch Type at individual planet 
screen to finish current building project 

1 34. elnstein All technologies 

135. iseeall Shows all planets and players 

136. menio Finishes researching 

current technology 

137. moola Gives you 1000 BC 



MASTER OF ORION II A little help from Einstein 
can put you at the top of the technology tree. 




ccw 


MARCH 1998 











what is sin? 





■‘'ou’ue made a 
religion out of the 
security) protection 
industry,, and non, 
VoiiVeyoinytomol!,. 

sincJaire 


when this twisted 

bio-chernist plans to 

overtake the world 
with her army of 
^eneticully-en^i neered 

mutants, ‘rsthiMjig, 

J^^are Colonel 
1^1^ Blcicfe. 


W hen thef^o of 
sinxEK industries 


begins injecting the 
streets of rrceport with 


a iDNA-aiterin^ clru^, it’s 
time to reassess the laws 

of moralitu.. 



AdiVilioN 


ritual 


Your iirsenal includes 
laser-sighting sniper rifles, 
remole-control detonation 
devices and extreme 
weapons so powerful they 
you apart. 


Blast your way through 
complex levels of unholy 
terror as you investigate the 
secret source of the crime 
epidemic plaguing the city. 


HT |) E ll-I NTE 11 A CTI V E 


swim, and even 
.drive through six distinct 
worlds enriched with beau- 
tiful graphic detail and a 
rich interwoven story line. 


NEVEK-BEfOItE-SEEN 

WEAPONS 


into some of the most 
intense DeathMatch levels 
ever created as you 
annihilate others over 
modem, LAN and seamless 
Internet play. 


COMlNg spiUNCj 1998 
WINDOWS' 95 /NT CD-ROM 
vuww.ucti vision, corn 
WWW. ritual. corn 


GO TO #231 @ WWW, computergaming, com/infolink 






138. maxammo Full load of ammo 

139. maxsurvey Reveals all resources 

UQ. maxspy Reveals all eriemles 

141. maxsuper Allows chosen unit to be 

upgraded to level 30 

142. maxstorage Fills raw material units’ 

cargo completely 

Myth: The Fallen Lords 

143. Hold the spacebar down while 
selecting the “New Game” option to 
select any mission. 

NelStorm 

During play, type this into the chat 
dialogue: 

144. .cheatorama 8675309 This will allow 
you to play any mission from the campaign 
and gives you a cheat menu for getting 
10,000 Storm Power. 

Settlers 2 



Type THUNDER to enable these codes In 
gameplay: 

145. Alt'FT View the whole map 

146. Alt-1 through Alt-7 Sets game speed 

Total Annihilation 

These codes work only in multiplayer or 
skirmish modes. Access the message box 
and then enter the codes. 

147. +atm 1,000 Metal and Energy 

148. + contour# Shows 3D contour mesh 

111-5 (use a number in 
the code instead of H) 

149. + dither Dithering instead of 

line-of-sight 


150. + doubleshot Twice the damage 

of all weapons 

1 51 . + nowisee Full map and 

disables line-of-sight 

1 52. + radar 100 percent radar coverage 

War Wind 

Hit Enter and type in the loliowing cheats: 

153. igoiden boy Gives money 

154. Ilhe great pumpkin Win campaign 

155. like sun also rises Shows everything 
155. !l am Ihe bishop ot battle Win mission 

157. ishow me Ihe wav Map coordinates 

158. ion a mission Irom gawd Workers 
build faster 

159. ioh come all ye laithlul 

Workers produce Fast-Inns faster 

X-Com: Anacalynse 

There are two cheat activators, 
one for the cityscape and one for 
the tactical screen. To access 
either of them, hold down Alt at 
the main interface and type ufo 
cheat for the cityscape and tac 
cheat for the tactical screen. You 
should get a confirmation that 
the cheat mode has been 
activated. In all cases, Alt-Esc 
cancels cheat mode. 


Cityscape codes 

160. Alt-numpad + Get one more of 


all equipment 

161. Alt-a 

Autosave on/off 

162. Alt-b 

Force base mission 

183. Alt-c 

Force UFOs to crash 

164. Alt-d 

Dimension map cheat on/off 

165. AIM 

Build base facilities 


cheat on/off 

166. Alt-g 

Test alien dimension 

167. Alt-m 

Get $100,000 

168. Alt-n 

Show number of 


aliens in buildings 

169. Alt-p 

Finish project instantly on/off 

170. Alt-q 

Allow all manufacture on/off 

171. All-r 

Allow all research on/off 

172. Alt-s 

Force overspawn 

173. Alt-t 

Force apocalypse 


terror mission 

174. Alt-v 

View ufopaedia onloff 

175. All-x 

Get one of each vehicle 

176. Alt-z 

Show all people 


tube connections 

Tactical codes 

177. Alt-t 

Training mode on/off 

178. Alt-h 

Kill all hostile units 

179. All-W 

Weightlessness on/off 

180. Alii 

Invincibility on/off 

181. Alth 

Hidden terrain on/off 

182. Alt V 

Hidden units on/off 



w MYTH Can’t get past a particularly tough mission? Then just 
I cheat your way to the next one. 




ccw 


MARCH 1998 


ACTION 


Abe's OMiisee 

From the main screen, hold down Shift 
and type in the following codes using the 
arrow keys (u = up, d = down, I = left, 
r = right): 

183. u I r I r I r d l/ieiv all movie scenes 

184. d r I r I r I u Select any level 

Camageddott 

At the screen In which you select the map, 
vehicle, or start the race, type enable to 
enable the cheat mode— which will also 
give you access to all tracks and vehicles. 
During gameplay, press F4 to cycle through 
the modes until CHEAT MODE appears. Then 
the following cheats will become available: 


221. CfrI'Keypad 1 Toggle fly mode 
For the above code, use normal 
movement keys. Keypad 5 places you on 
the ground (still flying). Keypad 9 and 
Keypad 6 change the car’s pitch. 



Press t; tlien type these codes: 

185. bunz All weapons (dual) 

and ammo 

186. capinmyass God mode 

187. Clarice lOOhealIh 

188. edmark Hurt yourself 

189. eva gain Toggle clipping mode 

198. luitky shoes Jumping boots 

191. goonles Shows the entire map 

192. griswold Full armor 




222. 0 

Bonus 

223. 1 

Mega Bonus 

224. 2 

Pedestrians glued to ground 

225. 3 

Giant pedestrians 

226. 4 

Explosive pedestrians 

227. 5 

Hot rod 

228. 6 

Turbo pedestrians 

229. 7 

Invulnerability 

230. 8 

Free repairs 

231. 9 

Instant repairs 

232. Shift-O 

Timer frozen 

233. ShitM 

Underwater ability 

234. Shift-2 

Time bonus 

235. Shift-3 

Body work trashed 

236. Shm-4 

Blow yourself up 

237. Shift-5 

Frozen opponents 



w CARMAGEODON This game has more cheats 
I than you can throw a bulldozer at. 


238. Shift-6 

Frozen cops 

239. Shift-7 

Turbo opponents 

240. Shift-8 

Turbo cops 

241. Shifl-9 

Gravity goes strange 

242. Alt-0 

Pinball mode 

243. AIM 

Wall climber 

244. All-2 

Bouncey-Bouncey 

245. Ait-3 

Jelly suspension 

246. Alt-4 Pedestrians shown on map 

247. Alt-5 Pedestrian extro-bastard ray 

248. Ait-6 

Greased tires 

249. AIM 

ACME damage magnifier 

250. Shift-AiI-2 

Instant handbrake 

251. Shift-Alt-4 

Turbo 

252. Shift-Ait-5 

Mega-Turbo 

253. Shift-Alt-6 

Blind pedestrians 

254. Shift-All-7 

Pedestrian respawn 

255. Shift-Alt-8 

5 free recovery vouchers 

256. Shift-Alt-g 

Solid granite car 

257. Gtrl-0 

Rock springs 

258. Clrl-1 

Drugs 

259. Clrl-2 

Grip-o-matic tires 

260. Ctrl-3 

Pedestrian harvest 




MARCH 199B 


ccw 






"The tightly integrated mix of comhat 
storytelling and puzzling keeps the pace 
brisk and lively, and it’ll keep you coming 
back for more." 

- PC Gamer (Rating 90/i) jQe. 



"Interplay set out to create a 'real' RPG for the PC, and it’s 
more than succeeded." 

I - GamePro (Rating 4.75 out of 5) 

j[: "Fallout is one of the finest games published this 
year, and is sure to be a serious contender for 
numerous Game-Of-The-Year awards." 

- Online Gaming Review (Rating 9.5 out of 10) 


@1997 Interplay Producllona. All rights reserved. Fallout and Interplay are trademarks of Interplay 
X Productions. All rights reserved. Wlndowsess Is a registered trademark of Microsoft Co^ralion. 

iVictC Wu ESRB All rights reserved. All other trademarks and copyrights are properties of their respective owners. 
GO TO #166 @ www,comoutereamine.com/(nfolinh 


"It’s a game that clearly was a labor of love. . .with humor, style, and brains to 
spare, and with a wonderfully refreshing emphasis on character development and 
decision making." 

- Computer Gaming World (Rating 4-1/2 out of 5) 


■ 


"In an age where many are predicting the death of traditional RPGs 
at the hands of multiplayer extravaganzas. Fallout is a glowing 
example of the genre, one which positively radiates quality." 


- strategy Plus (Rating 4-1/2 out of 5) 





Dark Forces: Jetii Knight 

Press t to access the chat dialogue then 
type on to enable the cheats. 

For the toggle cheats, 1 is on and 0 is off 


261. 5858lvr 

262. bactame 

263. deeznuts 

264. eriamjh 

265. imayoda 

266. jediwannabe : 

267. raccoonking 

268 . reds 

269. sithlord 

270. slowmo// 

271. thereisnotry 

272. wamprat 

273. whlleflagi^ 

274. yodaiammies 


All map 
Full health 
Level skip 
Fly mode 
Light master 
^ Toggles God mode 
All Force powers 
All weapons 
Dark Master 
Toggles slow motion 
End level 
All items 
Toggles Ai 
Gain Mana 


Hellbender 

286. totlpwr 

100 percent energy 

287. urdead^ 

Gives you weapon H 

288. maxmeup 

100 percent hull 

289. impumpd 

Gives you all 
weapons 

290. auntem# 

Warp to level H 

291. imstuck 

Skips 
current mission 


[► HEXEN n What action game would be complete without a god mode for 
I showing off in front of your friends? 


Nexen t/ 

Type in these 
codes at the game 
console (accessed 
by pressing ~ ): 


292. 

god 

God mode 

293. 

give h H 

Gives # amount of health 

294. 

impulse 9 

All weapons and mana 

295. 

impulse 14 

Sheep 

296. 

impulse 23 

Torch 

297. 

impulse 25 

Tome of power 

298. 

impulse 39 

Fly 

299. 

impulse 40 

Gain a level 

300. 

impulse 43 

All weapons/mana items 

301. 

Impulse 44 

Throw item 

302. 

impulse 99 

Restart game 

303. 

nocllp 

Turns off clipping 

304. 

playerclass 

# Changes your class 
(where H is 1-4) 

305. 

name# 

Changes your name 
to whatever # is 

306. 

skill # 

Changes your skill level 
(where H is 0-3) 

307. 

notarget Enemies don't recognize you 


getdown. Now all the other cars will 
attack you. After you’ve been destroyed, 
you proceed to the next mission. 


Magic Carpet 2 

Press i then type windy. Then enter the 
following codes. 


314. 

Alt-FI 

All spells 

315. 

Alt-F2 

More mana 

316. 

Alt'F3 

Destroys all players 

317. 

Alt'F4 

Destroys all castles 

318. 

Alt-F5 

Destroys all balloons 

319. 

Alt'F6 

Heal 

320. 

Alt-F7 

Kill all creatures 

321. 

Alt'FS 

More experience points 

322. 

Alt-F9 

Free spelt usage on/off 

323. 

Alt-FI 0 

Invulnerability on/off 

324. 

Shiit-D 

Complete current objective 

325. 

Shift-C 

Complete level 


► JEDI KNIGHT In the Baron’s Head level, you'll 
I find a familiar crazed bunny named Max. 


Destruction Derby 2 

Go to stock cars, championship mode, 
and enter your name as one of the 
following: 

275. MACSrPOO /Iccess fo all tracks, 

stock cars, and wrecking racing 

276. ToNyPaRk For full-motion-video 

277. CREDITZ For animated credits 


Extreme Assauit 

Type oh dear at the main menu to enable 


Hyperbiade 

308. mdmksb Increases attack ability 
and makes you more 


MDK 

Go to the help screen with FI . Then type in 
these codes. Use Enter or Esc to continue 


these codes: 


immune to opponent attacks playing. Because of many different versions 


278. 

AIM 

Full ammo 

279. 

Alt-2 

Upgrades current weapon 

280. 

Alt-3 

Full energy 

281. 

Alt-4 

Invulnerability 

282. 

Alt-6 

Completes mission 

283. 

Alt-7 

Deactivates enemies 

284. 

Alt-8 

Helicopter mode 

285. 

Alt-9 

Tank mode 


309. potato Decreases character size 

310. shuin Enables a hidden team 

311. gorilla Gorilla characters 

312. spicybralns Upside-down characters 

Interstate 76 

313. This works only in TRIP missions. 
Hold down Ctrl and Shift while typing 


of MDK, not all of the codes may work. 


326. 

biggrenade Homing striper grenade 

327. 

iiealme 

Full health 

328. 

iliketololi 

Mortar 

329. 

ineedabiggun 

Gatt 

330. 

kill 

Suicide 

331. 

makemelull 

Health 

332. 

Iwlslandsliout 

Twist 




MARCH 1998 


ccw 






From tH^sreatprs of the award-iwiTmingvda|sic M 1 ,T^ Platoon 
comes the most realistic arfhored land combat OTSDtmmfanywhere 
in the world. A/ll Tank Platoon 11. 

• Everything here is hyper-real. The detailed cockpits, the thennal view, 
the trees, the forests and even the helicopters that inteliigently hide 
behind hills, in fact, it’s as dose as you can get to 70 different ground 
and air vehicles and their weapons systems without being classified. 

• You’re in complete conPol of four A/11A2 Abrams tanks in both the 
gunner and commander positions. Test your prowess in first-hand 
comb, at or cotnjnand fonnations by issuing battle orders and setting 
waypoints from tlie map view. 

• Command platoons itr dynamic campaigns set in Iraq, North 

I .’Africa, the Russian Far East and Central Europe. Every mission is 
random and dictated by your strategic mastery from previous 
missions. Tire good news is as platoons expenence tough combat. 

« / : , , they’ll , serve you better. 

• Faceoff against the enemy as you and your fellow tarrk commanders 
S' engage in a multiplayer battle that will blow you away. 


www.microprose.com 


GO TO #191 @ vrtvw.coftipiJtergaming.com/infolink 




Hit Enter*! during gameplay and then type 

in the following codes: 
333. excalibur 

Get all weapons 

334. smallrochs 

Unlimited ammo 

335. tabbll 

Full shields 

330. igotbetter 

Full health 

337. gimmesomesugarbaby Full gear and 


weapons 

330. swallow Refuel your gas tank 

330. hnight 

God mode 

340. camelot 

End the level 

341. runaway Fire all weapons at once 

342. shrubbery 

Get powerups 

343. anlioch 

Kill all enemies 

344. unladenswallow 

Unlimited fuel 

Reed for Sneed R 


Type in these codes at any menu screen: 

345. armylruch 

Army Truck 

345. bmw 

BMW 

347. bus 

Yellow school bus 

348. commanche Commanche pickup truck 

349. drive29 Monolithic Studios bus 

350. drlve30 

Limousine 

351. drlve31 

Citroen 2CV 

352. drlve3e 

Cart 

353. drlve37 

Outhouse 

354. drIveSO 

T-Rex 

355. drIveSO 

Wagon 

356. drl«e40 

Souvenir stand 1 

357. drlve41 

Souvenir stand 2 

350. drive42 

Souvenir stand 3 

359. drise43 

Log 

360. drlve44 

Wooden crate 

361. drlve45 

Monorail 

362. drlve46 

Hover Police 

363. driee47 

UFO 


4 


NEED FOR SPEED II When they said, “Drive a 
I dinosaur,” they didn’t mean your 76 T-bird. 




364. drlve43 

Sewage truck 

365. drlve49 

Snowy wooden box 

366. drive50 

Snowy wooden box 2 

367. bollywood 

Bonus track 

360. jeepyj 

Jeep YJ 

369. landcrulser 

Toyota Landcrulser 

370. mercedes 

Mercedes 

371. mlala 

Mazda Miata 

372. pioneer Makes all secret cars faster 

373. quatlro 

Audi Quattro 

374. redracer 

Ford Indigo 

375. semi 

Big truck without trailer 

376. Slip Enables super slip ’n’ slide mode 

377. snowtruck 

Snow truck 

370. vanagon 

VW Combi 

379. volvo 

Volvo station wagon 

300. vwbug 

VW Beetle 

381. vwib 

VW Fastback 

382. Hold down n while the track is loading 

to race at night 


Outlaws 


303. olairhead 

Fly mode (use jump and 

crouch to move up and down) 

394. olappear 

Makes boss appear 

305. Plash 

Unlimited ammo 

306. olhounce 

Superjump mode 

307. oiGds 

Full map 

380. olelher 

Invisibility 

309. ollps 

Displays frame rate 

390. oigps 

Displays coordinates 

391. olgusher 

Unlimited oil 

392. ollmyella 

God mode 

393. oljackpot 

Adds inventory 

394. olpostai All weapons and full ammo 

395. Qlredlite 

Freeze enemies 

390. olscore 

Skip level 

397. olscreening 

Shows cut-scenes 

390. olstinnel 

Gatling gun 

399. ollombslone 

Suicide 

400. olwimpy 

Autoreload 

401. olyahoo 

Bronze badge 

482. olzip 

Teleport 


Jump to level codes 
4)03. Qlhldeaul 


404. oltown 

405. oltrain 
400. olcanyon 
407. olnillls 
400. olslmms 
400. olmlner 

410. olcllfl 

411. oirancli 


Perfect Weaeoii 

Enter these on the password screen to 
warp to that particular moon: 

412. DBDBBABA 

413. ADDCAADC 

414. ACBABBCC 

415. ADDDCAGC 

416. DDBDBBCA 
Enter this code during gameplay 
for God mode: 

417. gmgodm 


Pmerslave 


410. lobocop 

All weapons 

419. lobodelty 

God mode 

420. Ipboswag 

All items 

421. lobopick 

All keys 

422. lobosphere 

Entire map 

423. lobollte 

Removes flash from 


explosion and gunfire 

424. loboxy 

Displays coordinates 

425. holly Gives a space at the top of the 

screen to enter the following codes: 

426. level H Jumps to level numbered H 

427. doors 

Opens all doors and 


activates all traps 

420. creature 4 

Places any one of the 

following creatures at your location 


(where If is 0-11) 

429. 0 

Anubis 

430. 1 

Spider 

431. 2 

Mummy 

432. 3 

Piranha 

433. 4 

Basset 

434. 5 

Magmantis 

435. 6 

Am-Nit 

436. 7 

Set 

437. 8 

Kilmatikhan 

438. 9 

Alien Worker 

439. 10 

Alien Worker 

440. 11 

Omen Wasp 


Redneck Rampage 

441. rdelvis God mode 

442. rdall Gives all items and full health 

443. rdclip Lets you walk through things 

444. rddebug Toggles debug mode 

445. rdluckngo#?? Takes you to episode If 

and map ?? 

446. rdguns Gives all weapons 

447. rdinventory Gives all inventory items 

448. rditems Gives all items 

449. rdkeys Gives all keys 


Ice 

Garden 

Forest 

Desert 

Proteus 


ccw 


MARCH 1998 



The Dfricial Guide to 
J. Michaei Straczynski's Babylon 5 

BONUS! Includes an enhanced "Best 
of Babylon 5" music CI> by 
Christopher Franke! 


ANNONS 

V/'^D/S 


e: support 


SUPPORT 


: SYS 3 
ACTOR. S 


photosi sound and video clips Available kMUeamaB 
- from the inner workings of Nou ! It 
the space station to the [^ 3 ^ PC ji 

outer reaches of the galaxy. See your y „ ^B| 

You''ll learn so much about software * 

retailer : * * 

the ships-i weaponsi inhabi- 

or call 

tants and history of "Babylon i-flog- * 

S"n that you''Il be ready to 757-77D7. 

sign on for a tour of duty. wvwv.sierraxom/babylanE 


Set course with Captain 
John Sheridan-i Ambassador 
Delenn and the dwellers of 
Babylon S for a tour unlike 
any other. Created with J* 
Michael Straczynski and 
Babylonian Productions! this 
interactive reference guide 
is loaded with hundreds of 


COMPUTER SYS 


60 TO #372 @ www.compulergamtng.com/inf6link 


C ™ designate trademarks of 
BABfLO.N S"' and w Uarne 


UA “iaOO?.. - a 
ghts reserved 



M SONIC 



M iiwnRFS 







iHlIliHI SofUAtE! 


Long ago, in a time when the lives of men, monsters and 
gods were intertwined, seven kingdoms vied for supremacy; 
each grew to have its own distinct identity, possessing 
unique skills and traditions.Their tools of conquest were 
trade, diplomacy, espionage, science and sheer brute force. 
By strength, cunning and guile they expanded their 
burgeoning empires, fighting against the ravages of nature, 
sometimes against rival kingdoms and sometimes against 
uprisings from within. 


Real-time empire building with seven unique cultures 
Multiplayer options via modem, LAN, serial or Internet 

Pre-built scenarios and random campaign generator for 
unlimited gameplay 

Espionage and counter espionage with trade and 
diplomatic options 

Highly detailed 800 x 600 SVGA graphics 


Windows '95 CD-ROM 


Visit your local retailer or 

call 1-800-789-1543 to order a copy today! 


www.imagicgames.com 


Seven Kingdonuls a trademaki 
irademarks ace (be pn:ipalpi4) 


■WiPIWW 


f- 

y 

•ft ' 

— f 

LjSik 

i 




450. rdmonsters Toggles monsters on & oft 

451. rdrale Shows your current framerate 

452. sOowman Shows the full map 

453. rdshill# Changes your skill level to 

level k (1-4) 

454. tdunlock Toggles all the locks 

455. td«iew Chase plane view 

Scorched Planet 

456. fatal Loads your ship with full 

weapons and ammo 

457. allah Invulnerability 

Ouahe II 


Press the tilde ( - ) key to bring down the 
console, then type these codes: 


458. god 

God mode 

459. notarget Enemies won't target you 

460. nocllp 

No clipping 

461 . give all All items and weapons 

462. give shells 

Shotgun shells 

463. give hullets 

Bullets 

454. give cells 

Cells 

465. give grenades 

Grenades 

465. give rochets 

Rockets 

467. give slugs 

Slugs 

468. give invulnerability 

Temporary 


invulnerability 


Shadow Warrior 


Press t to open the chat dialogue to type 
in these codes: 

469. swchan God mode 

470. swghost No clipping mode 

471. swgimme Aii inventory items 

472. swgreed God mode, all 

items and ammo 


473. swioc Displays the frame rate 

474. swmap Full map on/off 

475. swname Change name in multiplayer 

476. swquit Quits the game 

477. swres Changes the screen resolution 

478. swstart Restarts a level 

479. swlrek## Jumps to level number ## 

480. swlrix Bunny rocket mode 

481. winpachinko Win at the Pachinko 

machines 


SkyNET 

To use the following cheats, press AIH 
and then type in the code. 

482. amold Gives all weapons, 

but no ammo 


483. slugs Gives you all the ammo 

484. superuzl Gives you the superuzi 

485. surgery Gives you full health 

486. lilbeback Warps to the next level 

487. willnotstop Invulnerability 

488. garble Turns on/off cheat code garble 

489. target Gives you a targeting 

box on enemies 

490. icantsee Gives you an infrared 

targeting scope with zoom 


HOTTEST CHEATS 
FORHELLFIHE! 

We didn 't think 501 cheats were enough 
so we went the extra mile to get these 
super secret cheats for Diaslo's 
expansion, Hellfire. 

Create a file called command.txt using 
the Windows notepad. In the tile, use 
the following words to create the 
listed effect. Save the file to the 
Hellfire directory. 

HARDIEST This enables the partially 
completed Bard character. The stats are 
there, but it looks the same as the 
Rogue. This class allows you to use two 
single-handed weapons, and the benefit 
will quickly become apparent when you 
fight two enemies side by side. 
THEOQUEST A little girl appears in the 
village. Complete her quest and get a 
treasure. 

COWDIIEST Here's the big one! This 
code removes the farmer and puts in a 
wacky cow. The cow gives you a quest, 
but only if you're at a high enough 
level. When 
you get the 
bovine 
armor, be 
sure to wear 
it when you 
face Na-Krut. 

By the time you read this, there should 
he a patch that fixes the hugs in Hellfire 
and gives you this additional code: 

BARBARIAHTEST The Barbarian charac- 
ter class! No magic ability, but has high 
stats and can wield two-handed 
weapons in one hand! 



Moto Racer 

Enter these at the name input screen and 
press Enter. 

491 . cdnalsl Gives access to all tracks 

492. CBsrever To race all tracks 

in reverse mode 

493. ctekcop To race all tracks 

on "pocket" bikes 

Tomb Raider 

Hold down the Shift key and take one step 
forward, then one step backward. 

Release Shift and turn 360 degrees to 
your right three times. Then... 

494. Jump backward Get all the weapons 

495. Jump forward Beat the current level 

and go to the next one 


Tomb Raider II 

496. Repeat the steps for Tomb Raider 
except this time, have a flare in your hand. 


WipeOutXL 

497. rush 

498. xclass 

499. xteam 

500. xtrack 


Silly ships 
Phantom class 
Piranha team 
All tracks 



^ WIPEOUT XL A keyboard code will get you easy 
I access to all the tracks in the game. 

Super Special Cheat 
CodeforWarCraftZ 

Enter this code on the main menu screen 

501. game over man 

This gives you the full version of 
StarCraft. which was really ready for 
release when WarCraft 2 came out 
(Blizzard was just building up the anticipa- 
tion, and the design team for StarCraft 
has been in Hawaii the past two years). % 


A 


ccw 


MARCH 199 B 







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INTRODUCING THE FIRST GAME YOU CAN PLAY WITH THIS lOYSTICE 





BETTER GRAB YOUR LIGHTSABER. JEDI KNIGHT™; 
DARK FORCES® II CONFRONTS YOU WITH THE 
)OYS OF lEDI KNIGHTHOOD. INTER-GALACTIC 
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LEVELS, EACH WITH THE SINGULAR INTENT OF PUTTING 
YOUR SKULL ON A STICK. AND THERE’S NO JOY IN THAT. 



DARK FOReES 11-^ 


©1997 Lucaslllm LIil- All Righls Raseiveil Slir Wus. Dark Forcss and Ihe LucasAtls logo ate legietered itadetiiatks. and JadI Knlgfil Is a liadamark ol Lucaeliltn LI 

GO TO #122 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 


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The 
Best 
& Worst 

of 1997 


T he announcement is 
punctuated with 
applause, cheers, 
and delighted 
screams. A spotlight 
swoops past pre- 
assigned seats to 
crown its target with a 
luminous corona. Music 
swells into a symphonic 
cliche that would make 
even Barry Manilow 
proud. The winner walks 
briskly to the podium 
with visions of thanking 
God, Mom, and invest- 
ment bankers dancing in 
his or her head. That’s 
how most people think 
of awards ceremonies, 
and frankly, it’s a lot of 
hooey. 

Awards legitimate sin- 
gular artistic efforts. At 
their best, they encour- 
age one to try an over- 
looked product. At their 
worst, they heap extra 
hype on commercially 
successful products. As 
humans, though, we like 
awards and await our 
chance for recognition. 
We can’t resist arguing 
the worthiness and 
unworthiness of other 
people’s choices. 

Each year, the editors 
of Computer Gaming 
World present the BEST 
game in each gaming 
genre along with the 
ONE game that tran- 
scends its genre and 
opens up new worlds 
and experiences to 
gamers of other styles. 
This year, we’re also 
presenting the WORST 
gaming experiences from 
1997. And the best part 
is, you don’t have to sit 
through long dance num- 
bers and ill-prepared 
acceptance speeches to 
find out who won! And 
the winners are... 



GAIVIE OF THE YEii 


JedI 

I n a secret ballot vote, the CGW Editorial 
Staff voted almost unanimously (except for 
one Gettysburg fan) to give the 1998 Premier 
Award for Game of the Year to LucasArts’ Jedi 
Knight, designed by Justin Chin. This award is 
given to the game that tran- 
scends all genres, presents innov- 
ative design ideas, and offers a 
thoroughly rewarding gaming 
experience— requirements that 
Jedi Knight wholeheartedly fulfills. 

Jedi Knight introduced a host of 
new design concepts into the 
first-person action genre, helping 
to elevate it above the other 3D 
shooters In the market. The two 
chief elements that set Jedi 

Knight apart are its Integrated plot and its character development. It was the first action 
game to tightly integrate the story into the gameplay, with cut-scenes that flowed straight 
into in-game action and multiple-objective-based levels that fit into the story. There have 
been other attempts to meld story and gameplay together 
in action games, but none ever approached Jedi’s level. 

The character development in Jedi Knight also vaulted it 
ahead of the pack and heyond just the sights of action 
gamers. How many of us have wanted the chance to learn 
the Force or join the Dark Side? You can do both in Jedi, 
and you can do so on an immersive level that actually 
makes you care about your character’s choices. It’s a role- 
playing convention that’s done better here than in other 
role-playing games. 

Besides the plot and character development, Jedi offered a host of other features that 
cemented its place as 1997 Game of the Year. Take, for example, the amazing level design 
and clever puzzles, the hair-raising lightsaber duels with the Dark Jedi, the almost cine- 
matic way in which the game set up those duels of good versus evil, and the immersion in 
the Star lYars universe. The graph- 
ics were good, multiplayer was fun, 
and the music (of course) was 
first-rate. 

While Quake II delivers a more 
visceral adrenaline rush, Jedi Knight 
offers a much richer single-player 
experience. As did Diablo the year 
before, Jedi rose above the crowd 
in appealing to gamers across all 
genres. The Force was definitely 
with LucasArts when they made 
>1 Knight, Dark Forces 11. 




Quake II 


A ction games were in a pivotal evolutionary 
phase this year. There weren’t as many 
quality titles to play, but what good 
games did exist were head-and-shoulders above 
last year’s best. The action genre has never 
lacked for excellent multiplay, but solo action has 
suffered egregiously of late, This was the year to 
fix that nagging disability, and our nominees pro- 
vided incredible solo experiences in addition to 
their great multiplay. Of these nominees, the 
award goes to Quake II. Why? Because this is an 
action award, and for pure adrenaline-pumping, 
visceral, instantly gratifying action. Quake II is 
the hands-down winner. No game gave us the 
rush that Quake II did. It 
even had a good single- 
player component, with 
unit-based levels, multi- 
level missions, and little 
extras (such as radio 
chatter) to deepen the 


immersion. 

Interstate 
'76 was 
more stylish 
and original, 
but it suf- 
fered a lack 
of good 3D support and an irritating save fea- 
ture, If both of those problems had been 
addressed, you might be looking at a differ- 
ent awards ceremony. G-Police was the most 
beautiful of all these games, but its lack of 
multiplay hobbled its chances for an award. 

As for Jedi, we think it is a better overall 
game than Quake II, especially in its 
story-telling, drama, and immersion. 

That's why it, and not Quake II, is our 
Game of the Year. But when we asked 
ourselves which action game delivered 
the purest rush for hard-core action 
gamers, we came back to Quake II. 


ADVEISiTURE 
GAME YEAR 



OTHER ADVENTURE FINALISTS: 
Blade Runner Westwood 



Of Monkey Island 

I t turned out to be a surprisingly good year for 
adventure games. While everybody (including 
CGW) was busy bemoaning the sad state of the 
genre, by year’s end, we had more nominees 
than we could have imagined. 

There is one adventure game, 
howevei; that clearly stood out as 
an unqualified triumph: 
LucasArts’ The Curse of 
Monkey Island, the long-await- 
ed third installment in the 
ongoing story of doofus pirate 
Guybrush Threepwood. Like all 
the great LucasArts adventures. 


; The Last Express Red Orb 
:! Twinsen's Odyssey Activision 
n Zorh Grand Inquisitor Activision 


The Curse of Monkey Island is an animated, 2D comic 
romp that combines challenging, inventory-based puz- 
zle solving with unabashedly goofy cartoon humor 
Simply everything is done right in this game; lush 
graphics, outstanding voice-acting, strong storyline, 
clever puzzles, and, best of all, a script with more big 
laughs in it than just about anything at the movies 
these days. It is, easily, the most entertaining adven- 
ture in years, and is our hands-down winner 
Our other nominees are also quite good. 
Westwood’s Blade Runner is a remarkable-looking, 
faithful adaptation of the classic sci-fi film. Red Orb’s 
The Last Express, the year’s best mystery, is 
stylish and intriguing period piece set on 
the eve of WWI, Activision’s Twinsen's 
Odyssey is a charming 3D action/adventure 
hybrid. And Activision’s Zork Grand 
Inquistdr is a wonderful return to form, with 


Curse 









OTHER SPORTS FINALISTS: 

Links LS 98 Access SolKvare 
NHL 98 Electronic Arts 
NBA Live 98 Electronic Arts 


MARCH 1996 


PREmiER AlAfRRDS 

■■ 


Role-Play in a 

GAME OF THE YEAR 


-|99S 




-I 




W ell, this is an easy one. The Role-Playing Game of the 

Year is Fallout, Interplay’s masterful postapocalyptic epic, 
which is so good that we didn’t even bother to nominate 
any other games. And though it had no serious competition, it’s 
safe to say that Fauout would have won this award no matter how 
many oUier nominees there were, because this is quite simply the 
best RPG to hit the PC in years. 

Dubbed the '‘spiritual successor" (as 
opposed to sequel) to the seminal RPG 
Wasteland, Fallout places you 200 years 
in the future, where you must cope with a 
nightmarish post-holocaust worid of radia- 
tion, giant scorpions, badass mutant zom- 
bies, and more. 

There’s a iot to praise— the stylish, 
kitschy art design; the challenging quests; 

the intelligent dialogue— but what puts this 
game owr is its deep commitment to char- 
acter development, in which your decisions 
and actions seriously affect the outcome of 
the game. Rmiout is an obvious labor of 
love from a team that really knows RPGs, 
and their enthusiasm permeates every 


Baseball Magul 


M icrosoft continued to redeem its 
name with gamers with CAFfT 
Precision Racing, a high-octane, 
surprisingly well-done racing simulation. With state-of-the-art 
graphics, Internet play, and incredibly deep options 
that scale the game from novice play through 
hard-core realism, CART offers the spiff!- 
est high-tech sports thrills of the year 
Our other nominees were also 
great. NHL 98 and NBA Live 98 were 
the latest and best entries in EA’s 
awesome action-oriented franchises, 
while Links LS 98 


made the world s 
best golf simulation 
even better. 


aspect of the game, dcrwn to the load screens and awesome manual. 

The other role-playing games released this year-BETRAVAL in 
Aniara, Lands of Lore: Guardians of Destiny, Skadcms Over Riva- 
each had its moments, but each had huge problems as well, and 
certainly none came close 
to the vision, inspiration. 


Jiuy B«ynes 
PITCHER 

Saitiaore Orioles 
Age: 24 

Career : 2 years 

Salary: $150,000 
Contract Ends: 2001 


W hile the real world was full of boxers 
biting ears and hoopsters choking 
coaches, the PC sports world was a 
much saner place to be in 1997. A number of L '"'i 
great new games came out, but two really 
caught our eye. With no real way to compare ".TZIZH' , 
them, we are honoring them both as Sports Games of the Year. 

Baseball Mogul is about as humble as games get, but it was 
more original than any sports title this yeai; putting you in charge 
of a ball club and challenging you to do what all owners want to 
do most: Make money. The focus was not on action, but on the 
strategy, intrigue, and back-room politics that form much of the 
drama of professional sports. It isn’t for everyone, but for armchair 
coaches and fantasy 


freaks, it s the 
year’s sleeper hit 


CART Racing 










iifur 






[i OTHER SIM FinALISTS: 


F-22 flDF Digital Image Design 


Longbow 2 


F or the second year in a row, Origin’s 

Skunkworks team walks away with a Premier 
Award for a game based on the AH-64D 
Longbow. Longbow 2, the sequel to last year's winner 
maintains all the elements that made Longbow special, 
including authentic flight models, realistic instrumenta- 
tion. and widely adjustable skill levels that make the 
game accessible to begin- 
ners and combat aviation 
fanabcs alike. 

Building on that solid 
foundation, the team added 
a dynamic battlefield that 
ensures you’ll never repeat 
the same mission twice. 

There’s more action on the 
ground and in the air, and 
the addition of two new heli- 
copters to fly brings new tactics into play. The game looks great on 
most systems, and is absolutely dazzling on PCs with 3Dfx Voodoo 
graphics cards. On top of all that, cooperative and combative multi- 
player modes let players share the duties of piloting the chopper and 


handling its weapons. Authentic, exciting, immersive, and 
graphically dazzling, this is a sim that transcends its genre. 

DID’s F-22 Air Dominance Fighter, the follow-up to 1995 
Premier Award-winner EF2000, featured dazzling graphics, 
great flight modeling, and immer- 
sive missions, which made this 
game not only authentic, but fun as 
well. Had it not omitted a mission 
editor, it might have edged out Longbow 2. 

Flight Unumited 2, the first aviation sim to 
tmly capture the environment of real civilian 
flying, deserves a nod as well. 


Wing Commandep Ppophscy 


F ace it: Only the most starry-eyed gamers could possibly consider 
this year a great one for space sims. 10th Planet never shipped, 
and Starfleet Academy should have shipped a year earlier The 
Euro-hit I-War would surely be a contender: but it won’t ship in the U.S. until late spring. 

So it was left to Origin/EA to not just salvage a tired genre, but reinvent it in the process. Not 
only would Wing Commander Prophecy have won Best Space Sim in any recent year it was also 
one of the few serious contenders to Jedi Knight as this year’s overall Game of the Year. Prophecy 
sports tremendous graphics that look great rendered merely via software. With 3Dfx support, 
you’ll hardly believe your eyes, as the in-flight action looks better than the cut-scenes in most 
other games. 

Prophecy is more than mere eye-candy, The gameplay, featuring a new, creepy 
alien race, is easily the most engrossing since Wing II— the missions were designed 
before the movie, and it shows. Even the full-motion video segments actually 
enhance, rather than detract from, the flow of the game, because what you see is 
dependent on how well you perform in the mission: Prophecy has multiple levels 
of victory or defeat, another departure from previous Wing Commanders. 

Yes, Prophecy pushes your hardware (nothing new for Wing Commander), but it’s 
also as close to Babylon 5 as we’re likely to get on a PC anytime soon. For the 
detractors upset about the removal of promised multiplayer options, well, we’ll take a 
compelling story, good characters, and classic Wing Commander wrist-wracking action 
over the empty single-player experience of X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter any d^. 




iiSiVJ 


_rij 





ccw 


MARCH 1996 











IN 1983, 

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OTHER WARGAME FiniALISTS: 

Achlungl Spitfire Avalon Hill 
Ctose Combal 2: A Bridge Too Far Microsoft 
Hapoteon in Russia TalonSoft 
Panzer Generat ft ssi 


OTHER STRATEGY FINALISTS: 

Age of Empires EnsemblelMIcrosoft f 

Tolat Annfitilalion CavedogfGT Interactive ) 

Warlords III SSGfRed Orb > 

Dungeon Keeper Bullfrog I 


best Bahle of Britain game ever. A Bridge too 
Far improved in every way over Atomic's origi- 
nai Close Combat, Napoleon in Russia sent the 
Bahleground engine out in styie, and Panzer General ii is a ciinic 
in how to properly develop a sequel. 

^11 of these fine games might have won the award in any other 
But 1997 marked the return to form of arguably the best 
lesigner ever. Sid Meier's Gettysburg might not be as 
painstakingly accurate as TalonSoft’s Bahlegrouno games, 
but it delivers a potent Civil War punch. Everything con- 
tributes to the period flavor from the strains of martial 
music to the panoramic sweep of the formations as they 
e toward famous objectives such as Devil’s Den. Not 
only do you see the battle unfold as Lee or 
Meade might have, you even find yourself lis- 
tening for trumpet calls to give a clue con- 
cerning enemy maneuvers. The tutorials are 
among the best you’ll find in any genre, and 
the random maps and multiplayer options 
ensure that this is one game that really will 
play until Johnny c marching home. 


I t was a year of sequels like no other— because the majority of 
sequels were surprisingly good. For the first time since the 
advent of the original Harpoon, real-time wargames proved that 
they were here to stay, comprising exactly half of our finalists. 
Achtung! Spitfire, a real-time/turn-based hybrid, was simply the 


Sid 


Meier 


Genysbupg 




Myth 


T his was a good year for real-time games, even despite the 
number of ugly Command & Conquer clones that hit 
the shelves. The good real-time games of the year 
were more sophisticated, better-looking, and more fun. 

Yet, while all the other nominees v^ere evolutionary steps 
in gamepiay with the same CSC look, one game that 
stood out for its originality was Bungle’s Myth. Total 
Annihilation did 3D terrain well, but Myth blew that out of 
the water with its undulating hills, exploding craters, and 
obtrusive tree tops— this was true 3D terrain that got in your 
face. Sure, Age of Empires added more depth to your real-time 
building options, but Bungle went an entirely new route by including only tactical gamepiay; there’s no building, just fighting. And to make 
sure that the fighting was as sophisticated as possible, formations were added: when combined with terrain considerations, it made for a 
deeper tactical wargame than any other real-time strategy title. Warlords III had a good role-playing, fantasy feel, but it couldn’t beat 
Myth’s originality or personality. Even Dungeon Keeper lost in that respect (its dated look didn’t help either). 

But what sealed Myth's award was its single-player experi- 
ence. Bungle created the best single-player strategy game of 
the year The carryover of heroes, the voice-overs and NPCs in 
actual scenario play, and the great back-story all combined to 
create an immersive single-player package that was the most 
compelling of all strategy games. 


CGW 









Pnrr!;5hlp 

I V! 


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CGinr 

Puzzle 

GAME OF THE YEAR 


PREIVIIER n 


$1 



fi 


Smart Games Challenga 2 


S mart Games whetted our appetites 
with snackettes such as Word 
Puzzles and Straiajams, but noth- 
ing quite matched the original— until now. 
Instead of merely reinventing old puzdes 
or adapting classics to the electronic 
medium, Challenge 2 offers a few clas- 
sics of its own. Our favorite is Polf, a 
delightful cross between golf and pool 
that requires you to hit balls into golf- 
holes, using the most suitable pool-cue 
for the job. And then there’s What, a 
musical jigsaw puzzle in which you must 
reorder snippets of music to 
form a well-known arrange- 
ment. Aware that Berkeley 
Systems had cornered the 
trivia market, but nonethe- 
less wanting to honor fans’ 
requests for a trivia collec- 
tion, Smart Games also 



included Gates of Trivia, thousands of 
questions that we guarantee will have 
you running for your encyclopedia. Once 
again. Smart Games goes for substance 
rather than flash. But with brain-shatter- 
ing puzzles like these, who needs fluff? 

You Don’t Know Jack Movies, 

Berkeley’s fourth installment of its hilari- 
ous party game, came a close second, 
this time aiming its caustic arrow at 
movie institutions like LucasRIm and 
20th Century Fox. Berkeley also ventured 
into cyberspace with Acrophobia, an 

online game in which you must 
invent the most apt definition for 
an acronym in a given 
category. And finally, 

LjOSe Your Marbles was 
the best Tetris clone 
we’ve seen since last 
year’s winner. Baku Baku. 




.J — ts 





ms 


- 









'I* 


....... 


OTHER PUZZLE FINALISTS 


Vau Don't Know Jack Movies Berkeley Systems 


Acronhobia Berkeley Systems 


Lose Voor Marbles SegaSoft 


Canopus Pure 8D 


T his year has seen its fair share of 
outstanding hardware. We saw the 
coming of age of 2D/3D graphics 
acceleratoR that now hit on all cylinders, 
not trading one for the other. There were 
also some impressive strides made on the 
audio front, both in and out of the box. 
Positional 3D-audio established a beach- 
head, and is poised 
to make further 
inroads in 1998. 

Multimedia speakers 
have also improved 
markedly, with 
solid units available 
for $100. 

Yet ironically, 
despite these 

advances, this year's award goes to a 3D 
graphics board whose chipset is over a 
year old, and is the same chipset that gar- 


® 4 This year's 
award goes to a 
3D graphics board 
whose chip-set is 
over a year old... f f 


nered two boards this same award last 
year This year, it’s Canopus’ Pure 30, 
based on 3Dfx’s venerable 3Dfx chipset. 
Pure 3D distinguishes itself by providing 
6MB of onboard memory, and a TV-out 
that actually fools good. It runs 
DirectSO, OpenGL, and Glide, covering 
gamers on all fronts. In addition, 

Canopus brings it home 
for under $200. 

Other honorable men- 
tions go to Cambridge 
SoundWorks’ PC Works, a 
terrific satellite/woofer set of 
speakers with great sound 
for $100. Diamond’s Stealth 
II, based on Rendition’s 
V2100 chip, made solid 
2D/3D performance affordable, and its 
MonsterSound was also in the running for 
helping to get the 3D positional-audio party 




started. The RIVA 128 chip from nVidia 
made big waves this year, appearing on 
myriad boards from a host of board-mak- 
ers, including Diamond, ASUS, and STB. 



OTHER HARDWARE FINALISTS 

PC Works Cambridge SoundWorks 

Slealih II Diamond 
MonslerSound Diamond 
Rl 











T 


Age of Empires 

I t was a very good year for multiplayer games. 
There was Jedi Knight, Interstate 76, Heroes II: 
Price of Loyalty, Scourge of Armagon, and 
Quake II. But one game in particular burrowed 
deep in our brainstems, luring us back again and 
again. Almost every day at six o’clock, work ceas- 
es at CGW, and Age of Empires begins. 

Few people can resist Age’s outstanding combi- 
nation of graphics, sound, and gameplay. There is 
enough variety in the different civilizations, maps, 




and victory conditions to ensure that no two mul- 
tiplayer games are alike. 

But the heart of the game 
is its close-range melee 
combat, which is accessi- 
ble and exciting for every 
kind of player. As a single- 
player game, Age is inter- 
esting, but as a multiplayer 
game it’s outstanding. 






Special Award: 

Artistic Achievement 


l-'7B 

W hile most computer games this 
year looked to the future or 
distant past— or created a fan- 
tasy world of their own— for their inspira- 
tion, one game this year immersed us 
instead in one of the most alien settings 
imaginable: the 1970s. 

The idea behind Interstate 76— 
an “auto-combat simulation” set in 
an alternate universe 1970s— was 
good enough, but the extent to 
which the game’s designers real- 
ized their vision elevated it into the 
realm of the ultra-cool. With state- 
of-the-art 3D graphics; a Mad 
Maxian script infused with bravado 
and style: and a silky, bass-heavy 
funk soundtrack, Interstate '76 


shook the gaming world’s collective 
booty. Yeah, the action rocked, but all of 
the chrome, including the hilarious open- 
ing credits and wonderfully cinematic cut- 
scenes, put l-’76 over the top. And that’s 
the way, uh-huh 
uh-huh, we like it. 



ra il A chif ew 


SRil 


Outlaws 

I n Outlaws, Clint Bajakian has composed the most 
atmospheric soundtrack possible. Paying homage to 
the musical scores from Clint Eastwood’s archetypal 
spaghetti westerns—with their 
attendant whistles, guitar strums, 
and vocal grunts— the evocative 
soundtrack seamlessly integrates 
themes for specific locales, game 
situations, and cinematic transition 
scenes to provide maximum aural 
satisfaction. 



n Pack 



fluliB Mlsstan Pack Ito. 1: 

Scourge of 
Armagon 

T his was a good year 
for expansion packs. 

We played some 
great games, and when we 
were done, companies like Rogue, Cyberlore, 
and Ritual came in and gave us some more. 
Of all the expansions to all the games, 
though, one stands out in our minds: 

Ritual’s Quake Mission Pack 1: Scourge of 
Armagon. 

Simply put, 
this expan- 
sion, alone 
among all 
others, was 
actually 

much better than its original game. The lev- 
els were better in Armagon than in Quake, 
and the DeathMatch level was arguably the 
best we have ever seen. There were many 
other stellar expansion packs this year, 
including Heroes II: The Price of Loyalty, Red 
Alert Aftermath, and Civ II: Fantastic 
Worlds, but none succeeded in taking its 
original game to the next level quite as well 
as Ritual’s Scourge of Armagon. 



OTHER ADD-OIUS FINALISTS: 
Quake MP 2: Dissolution ot Eternity 

Rogue/Aclivision 

Heroes II: Price el Leyally 
New World Computing 
Red Alert: Aftermath Westwood 
Civ II: Fantastic Worlds MicroProse 












■ 

1 * 








TiTTil 

# J 



^1 

V lij^i 







CUSTOIV/IIZATION OF 
WAK n/IACHINES. 

iiroit»*gi;e betoi 
battJetield* Crs^iste rUKl 
each rjiriii from ^craUh, choosih^: 
r»yiong ihoiiSrf^ 


\)i 





T 


TT 


WORST 


THE YEAR 


Games that promised us the world, but 
ended up giving us the willies 



1 ' - M 1 I/i'lpT' 

rf'Tii'THB 

1 -UJ'-ilTH 



Ultima Online 

F irst, let’s acknowledge that there were plenty of lousier games in 

than Ultima Online. Take Soldier Bovz-please. But Ultima Online gets our 
booby prize for one reason; No game came into 1997 with greater hype, 
anticipation, and promise than this one, only to be so utterly disappointing. 

UO was cynically shoved onto the market, with a helly price tag and a 
monthly conneclion lee, by publishers who were well aware that the game 
was not even remotely complete. Given the huge lag problems, bugs, and 
sheer unplayabilily. Origin owed it to gamers to first, acknowledge-publicly, 
immediateiy-lhat the game was a beta, and second, waive the monthly con- 
nection fees indefinitely until the game was playable. 

We hope that Ultima Online will one day prove to be great. But in 1997 it 
was foisted prematurely upon the gaming public, and for that it is CGW’s 
Coaster of the Year, 







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60 TO #104 @> www.computergaming.com/Infolink 







Microsoft Finally 
Embraces OpenGL 


I n an interesting twist to the skirmish 
between DirectSD and OpenGL, Microsoft 
and Silicon Graphics Inc. have combined 
efforts to bring OpenGL to all of Microsoft's 
Win 32 platforms (Windows 95, 
Memphis/Windows 98, and Windows NT 
4.0 and 5.0), 

Details of the deal are 
somewhat sketchy, with 
Microsoft taking on the 
task of certifying 
OpenGL Installable 
Client Drivers (ICDs) in 
their Windows Hardware 
Quality Lab (WHQL, pro- 
nounced “wee-kul”). 

Microsoft has stated in 
the past that DirectSD 
was for consumer appli- 
cations, while OpenGL 
was for professional 
(CAD, workstation) applications. That mantra 
remains unchanged, and while Microsoft would 
like everyone to chant the mantra with them, it 
does mean that if game developers want to use 
OpenGL in lieu of D30, there will be enough 
hardware support out there to make the title 
run. And because having the OpenGL ICD will 
now be an integral part of getting Windows 95 
certification, OpenGL should begin to prolifer- 
ate much more rapidly than it has to this point. 


While the ABM (Anyone But Microsoft) crowd 
may be smelling a conspiracy theory (hey, 
Microsoft is involved), the news for gamers is, by 
and large, good. Game developers will have an 
alternative to DirectSD, and because OpenGL is 
controlled by its Architecture Review Board 


(ARB), which consists of eight members (Micro- 
soft is one of them), there’s less of a perception 
that Microsoft is trying to bully developers into 
using DirectSD. But wait, there's more... 

At press time, Microsoft and SGI made more 
waves with an announcement for a new set of 
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) 
called Fahrenheit, which will incorporate aspects 
of both DirectSD and OpenGL. This new set of 
APIs, to be jointly developed by the two compa- 


nies, will eventually allow hardware vendors to 
create one set of drivers that will run Fahrenheit- 
specific applications, and also run DirectX 3.0, 
DirectX 5.0 through 7.0, and OpenGL titles. 

The announcement comes as SGI is prepar- 
ing to enter the Intel-based/Windows NT 3D 
workstation fray, a departure 
from the company's traditional 
higher-end market segment. For 
Microsoft, the deal seemingly 
kills two stones with one bird: 
First, the DirectSD/OpenGL 
belching contest becomes irrele- 
vant (we hope), and the deal 
positions Microsoft to enter the 
workstation market with its 
Windows NT operating system. 
The first versions of Fahrenheit 
aren't due until sometime in 
1999, so it's still quite a ways 
out. But taking the optimistic 
tack, this Microsoft/ 

SGI collaboration will be a win for gamers, as 
developers will have new avenues for creating 
killer content. As for the dimmer view, 

Fahrenheit could turn out to be one serious 
piece of bloatware, since it has to translate both 
DirectSD legacy code and OpenGL code into its 
own format, it could introduce additional API 
overhead, and it might wind up being more of a 
hindrance than a help. Because the project's 
rolled-out products are so far off, we're left to 
speculate as to whether SGI and Microsoft can 
really pull this off. —Dave Salvator 


ACROWTM O’ THE MONTH 


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RealSD Enters the Fray 


IRONWORKS^ 


I n the previous edition of 3D Iron Works. Loyd Case 
gave you the first skinny on Intel's new i740 2D/3D 
graphics chip. This month, another vendor has 
announced a board using this new chip. But this 
isn't “just another vendor," it’s Real3D. Lockheed-Martin's real-time 3D graphics 
division-the architect of the i740's 3D 
graphics core. 

Real3D is working on its Starfighter 
board in two versions; an AGP version 
that will appear in off-the-shelf systems, 
and a PCI version that will be sold at 
retail. Of the two, the PCI part is actual- 
ly more Interesting, because of 
Real3D's implementation. Using a pro- 
prietary AGP-PCI interface. Rea!3D “fools" the 1740 into thinking it's on the AGP 
bus. It does this by creating a local AGP bus on the board itself. The Starfighter 
is populated with a 4MB frame buffer, and texture memory ranges from 8MB to 
16MB. To the 1740, this tocai-texture memory looks like AGP memory, and can 
be accessed at AGP's 2x peak bandwidth of 528MB/sec. One concern I have is 
the fact that the i740's 2D core was developed by Chips & Technologies, which 
has done graphics chips for laptops, but doesn’t have much of a track record in 



the desktop PC space. Pricing is still being worked out. but we've heard guesti- 
mates of around $249 for a board with a 4MB frame buffer and SMB of texture 
memory. As soon as we get a Starfighter in-house, we’ll put it through its paces 
and let you know how it fares. Slay tuned. 

Turning to the audio front. Shark Multimedia has just begun shipping its 
Predator 3D audio card, an ISA-based card based on Analog Devices’ 
SoundMAX chipset, which supports Aureal Semiconductor’s A3D 3D posi- 
tional-audio technology, and can accelerate up to six simultaneous audio 
streams. Analog Devices claims to have solved the problems associated with 
CPU overhead when transferring data to the ISA bus. The Predator 3D arrived 
right at press time, so we didn't have time to check this out, but in a brief 
demo running Jedi Knight (which uses DirectSound 3D} and in some of 
Aureal's A3D demos, the board sounded pretty good. One downside: Predator 
3D only supports DOS 
games in a DOS box, so 
you'll want to keep your 
trusty old SoundBlaster for 
running in MS-DOS mode. 

We'll bang on this one some 
more and tell you what we 
find. —Dave Salvator 



LOYD CASE* UNDER THE HOOD 


How Fast Is 
Fast? 

The Black Art of Measuring Graphics Performance 


ast montli, f talked about how to 
improve tlie pcrfomiance of 
your grapiiics setup. But wiiat 
cxiiclly does improwd perfor- 
mance mean? This month, I’ll 
take a look at benclimaiking, 
botli synthetic and reat-vvurld. 

I’ll also spend some time exploring 3D 
WinBench 98, Ziff-Davis’ coo! new DirectBD 


L 


benchmarking tool. Finally, I’ll try to address a 
burning question that seems to be tire most 
common email query I get these days: Which 
graphics card should I get?" 

MEASURING PERFORMANCE 

Bcnchmaiking is a tricky job. Ideally, you 
want to capture the performance of a piece of 
hardware in a controlled situation, using a 



method that’s easy to quantif)': It sounds simple, 
but it proves complicated in practice. 

There are two types of benchmaiks: synthetic 
lx;nchmarks, which try to stress tlie s^’stem being 
tested in carefully controlled ways, and applica- 
tions benchmarks, which try to measure how 
reai-worid applications behave on a system. 
Examples of syntlietic benchmarks include 

***Continue<J oopg98 




HARDWARE 


LOYD CASE 



t»Contmed from pg 97 

WinBench 98 and 3D WinBench 98. 
Examples of applications benchmarks 
include many of tlie games we use to lest 
3D pcrfonnancc, such as Fl-IC) IT 
SlMUl^lOR 98 and QUAKK. 

At first glance, you iniglif tliink tlial 
applications beiKhmarks arc the only 
way to go — but what do you mean wiien 
you say application? It gets really tricky 
with 3D graphics. Take the PowerVR 
chip ftom NEC, for example. 'Dial chip 
doesn’t do particularly well in 3D 
WnBcnch. It aLso fares poody in some 


across all tlie tests will probably get a 
high score. (I “probably” because if 
it’s egregiously hard to install or has other 
flaws, it may not get a high score.) When 
you’re picking a card, though, you may 
have only one particular type of game in 
mind. A card that gels a score of 3 oirt of 
5 may be better for your ^ming needs 
because it may do one particular thing 
really well. 

3D WINBENCH 98 

Ihis brings me to the latest version of 
3D WinBench, the 98 version. First of 


Benchmark Operation Web site, 
wwwidbopxxsn. Tlreres an online fonn 
you can fill out to order the CD. (Ibu’ll 
probaUy want to order the CD, since tlie 
pre^ram is a nearly 40MB download.) 
ZDBoP charges only a $5 shipping arxl 
handling fee, so it’s well worth the money. 

A SnCKY QUESnON 

TTie most common question I gel via 
email these days is“Which graphics card 
should 1 get?” The second most com- 
mon question is “Should I get a 2D/3D 
combination card or add a 3Dfx cardr 



THE FINAL FRONTIER Note how the Stations scene now looks a lot better Space stations belong in space, after all. 


Direct3D games. In other D3D games, 
it’s very solid, and in most games I’ve 
seen that directly use tlie hardware, it 
runs quite well and tlie image (luality is 
good. I’ve seen oilier cards do quite well 
ill some games and choke on otliers. 

At CC Libs, we use both types of 
benchmarks and try to gauge perfor- 
mance across a range of different types 
of games. A card that does pretty well 



f you’ve got a RIVA 128 card, 


I and you want to run Jedi Knight 
with the best performance, set 
the texture size to 4 from the default 
of 1. You can change this in the Jedi 
Knight setup screen, under display 
menu. There’s a box in the lower 
right labeled "3D Accelerator Texture 
Size." Change this from 1 to 4. 


all, 3D WinBench 98 is much more 
compreliensive than the 97 version. For 
one thing, tliere are more than 40 quality 
tests (of which 25 are used during the 
actual 3D WinBench testing. No card 
currently on IIk maiket passes all 25 
tests —in that sense, 3D WinBench 98 is 
forward-looking. 

Tlie benclimaik looks better, too. 

First, tlie 3D WinBench WinMark 
scenes look more like scenes from a 
game, and tlie camera movement is 
more like game movement. Second, the 
image-quality tests are laid out in a more 
useful manner. The image-quality tests 
offer many more options (41 in all) for 
checking out rendering. Of course, this 
means that 3D WinBench 98 takes 
longer to nin, but it’s easier to use overall 
and can really drill down and help us 
understand how some cards imple- 
ment— or fail to implement— key 
Direct3D features. 

I f you want to order a copy of 3D 
WinBench 98, go to the Ziff-Davis 


I’m always tempted to reply in a flip 
manner: “Read tlie reviews.” But 1 under- 
stand that it’s not a simple issue, especial- 
ly wlien it comes down to your hard- 
earned dollars. So my real answer is sim- 
ple: It depends. 

Okay, so that sounds like a flip answer 
as well— but it’s not. It really depends on 
your situation, your budget, your gaming 
needs, and your nongaming computer 
needs. Let’s walk through a couple of 
examples and show you what 1 mean. 

Rrst, consider a hard-core gainer on 
a budget. He’s scraped and saved to put 
tc^ether a 166MHz or 200MHz 
Pentium MMX system. Tlie system has 
a graphics card, maybe even a 
mediocre 3D accelerator, but he wants 
to play GL QUAKF, or just not have to 
worry about which 3D accelerated 
games he can play. ’Die right answer, 
although not the cheapest, is a good 
3Dfx card. If our hard-core game player 
gels a 3Dfx card, such as the 
Monster3D or Pure3D, lie’s set. He can 


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of PowerVR software games developed by Kalisto Entertainment S.A. (France). S'1997 Raven Software Corporation. All rights reserved. Id Software. Inc. software code contained within Hexen II”' 
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o1 Activision, Inc. qq i-q #246 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 



LOYD CASE 



DRILLING DEEPER There’s much more detail in 3D 
WinBench 98, but it's presented in an easier-to-under- 
stand format. 

AAA 


play GLIDE (3Dfx-specific) titles, 
0])enGL games (well, GL Quakii:, 
anyway), and Direct3D titles. 

Now let’s look at a more general- 
purpose user. Heres someone who 
docs a fair amount of graphics work, 
including some 3D modeling. Wliile 
a 3Dfx card might be an interesting 
option for this user, perhaps lies slot- 


liiniled somehow. 
A good card for 
him might be an 
A'TI xpert@work 
or even an All-in- 
Wonder Pro. 
Another option 
might be one of 
the many 
PcrmcdiaZcards 
out nov\', with as 
much memory as 
you can [)ut on it. 

TIicn there’s 
the h’pical home 
PC user. Merc, 
spouses and probably kids arc using 
the computer, too. 1 Ics not into tweak- 
ing the system, but he does want fast 
perfonnance — or at least, doesn’t 
want to worr)' about slow ])erfor- 
mance. A fast combo card, .such as 
one of the illVA 128 boaixls from 
Diamond, STB, isLSA, or others 
might be a good choice here. 


Finally, thcres the really hard-core 
gamer who isn’t on a tight budget. 

(\bu know, the hpical member of 
GompuScrx'cs FSCOMBAT' flight 
simulator forum.) Tlicsc folks aren't 
necessarily rich, but the)’ can indulge 
their passions occasional!)’. Tlic right 
answer here is both a fast 2D/3D- 
combo card and a 3Dfx add-on card. 

Tlie bottom line here is that there is 
no one magic-bullet solution to solve 
every graphics need for PC gaming. 

It’s tme that a 3Dfx board will see ) ou 
through on many fronts, but its not the 
least expensive wa)’ to go, it lacks 2D 
support, and there are other cqualK’ 
able Direct3D perfonners now a\’aii- 
able. For people wanting a one-board 
solution, there arc a number of wa)’s to 
go depending on what things )’ou'd 
like to be able to do and what \ onr 
budget is. So before making an invest- 
ment, consider what kind of gaming 
you most want to do and what )'Our 
budget is, and go from there. 


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by Loyd Case 

1 lot of t lie newer gra[)hics cards are 


A ll 

sliipping willi IV- 011 I connectors 
these days, but many still lack this 
feature. TV-niil Ls a handy feature 
that adds a little bit of extra cool to 
your setup, 

dhe 'IV Supcrscan 2 is an external 
scan converter, but unlike many similar 
devices, the Supcrscan 2 doc,sn't require 
software drivers. In fact, it has enough 
onboard memory lo [lerforin the frame- 
buffer chores, so it handles the scan con- 
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monitor to the Supcrscan 2 if you want 
simultaneous display. 'niiiik about this: 
Now )'our gaming can be a spectator 
sport. Tliere arc also connectors for 
conifiositc video-out and S-video. 


Tile controls arc sini])le and ca.s\' to 
use. One button brings u|) an on-scrccn 
menu (hat allow s lou to tweak the hori- 
zontal and vertical .setlings, 'Iliis little 
black box is also .smart enough to handle 
relatively high-resolution computer 
inputs — up to l()24x7fiS with overscan, 
and 800x600 with no os’crscan. 

Display quality through the compos- 
ite output looks okay from a distance, but 
S-video can look quite good if you’re not 
too clrrse. 

Ihe po.ssibilities go be)ond ju.st using 
a TV as a big monitor. Imagine tliat 
you’re playing online, and you want evi- 
dence of \our frag totals, just hook up 
the Su]rerscan 2's composite out|)ut to 
your VCR— presto, iirstantgun camera. 

So the next time you eye that S1.400. 



21-ineh moni- 
tor, remember that 29-inch “moni- 
tor” in the family room. After ail, its a 
waste to use such a big tube for mere 
television. S 


^APPEAL: People wanting a b 
tube without the cost. 


>PRO$: Easy setup; intuitive control 
set. 


^CONS: Expensive; you have to lug 
your com- 
puter to 


the family 
room; 
ungainly 
wires. 


^^LABS 


RAUD***^ 


★ A 


REVIEW • TURTLE BEACH DAYTONA PCI 


Unsound Choice 


by Loyd Case 


T his year is probably Ihe last one in 
which the aging ISA bus will be a 
factor in PCs. One of the last bas- 
tions of ISA hardware has been 
sound cards, Windows 95 and 
DirectSound arc beginning to change 
that, and we’re finally .starling to see PCI 
sound cards. 'Hie liirtle Beach Daytona 
PCI is one sucli example. 

Tire Turtle Beach card uses the S3 
Sonic Vbes PCI audio-chip. 'Hie chip 
can handle Ihe new i!)l^ technology 
(downloadable .sani])lc store), which uses 
)'our s)’stem inemor)' to store custom 
sounds that tan be played back through 
the onboard was'clablc synthesizer, Tire 
card comes with a 2!V!B wavctable that’s 
loaded into main memory. During play- 
back of several MIDI file.swit!i (he 
Windows 95 System Monitor running, 
there is no significant CPU hit. 

Tile c|uali(y of the MIDI .sounds is an 
entirel)' different issue, howe\'er. E\en 


with the maximum 2MB setting, the 
MIDI sounds somew hat tinny, and some 
of the percussion sounds arc simply terri- 
ble. Digital audio .sounds pretty good, 
but this is a noisy card. Turn up your 
speakers when llierels no sound being 
played back, and you could be standing 
near Niagara Palls. 

Setup is pretty easy, but the card did 
not like llie fifth l^Cl slot in mv ssstem 
(that’s often the ca.se for hu.s-inastering 
PCI cards). Moving it to another .slot 
fixed that problem. The .setup program 
was confused about the ss’stein settings 
upon reboot, and offered an accurate 
walkthrough on how (0 fix the I/O 
addresses that had been .set incorrectly. 

Winckrw's 95 game audio sounds pret- 
ty good (except for Ihe his.s), and DOS 
games that can be run from Wndow's 95 
work quite well, I lowevcr, neither DUKI': 
NukI'LM 3D nor DOS QriAKi', ran prop- 
erlv from a Windows 95 DOS boot. 



/Mthoiigli the low cost makes u|> some- 
what for the cleficiencies, its hard lo rec- 
ommend this card. I'br best compatibility, 
the AW''E-64 value edition still wins, and 
its much c[uidcr lo bool. As a PCI .sound 
card, the'liirtlc Beach card doesn’t come 
close lo the more x crsatile Diamond 
Moirster Sound. Gis e this one a pass. % 


^APPEAL: Loyal S3 users looking 
for a low-cost PCI sound card. 


^PROS: Uses one of those free PCI 


slots; fairly easy setup. 



ccw 




falcon mach 1 / gaming pc's run faster 

than other computers... 




mach 1 / pc’s are 
more powerful... 


and falcons 
have won 
more awards... 



FALCON NORTHWE ST 
COMPUTER SYSTEMS 


GO TO #257 @ www.computergaming.com/Infolink 





by 3Dfx. 

'#ER PQVffiR POWER POWER P®®! ■' PSWEH - POWEB 

Raw number crushing in physical form. 

More poiygons, more frames per second, 
more pixels on screen. Blast sbiftware 
straight from your monitor and into your brain 
Absolute power - no consequence^. 


Power 


Best Hardware. Best Software. 


Ldu emit iind her likeness sre courtesy olEidos EntenalrrmenlTomb Raider, 
are trademarks of 3Dfx Interactive, Inc. AH Rights Reserved. 


' likeness are trademarks ot Eidos Entertainment. © 1997 EltKEmraUinnwit. CojtyttQAt © 1997 aotk InKraclivb. Inc 77» ; 
GO TO #120 @ wwv.computergaming.c^/llnfollnk;: • 


PDPI LIGHTNING 4 • REVIEW -k-k-k-k 


The Invisible Game Card 

by Loyd Case 


I ’ve long lamented the fact tliat the 
creaky analog joystick port, devel- 
oped in the era of the original IBM 
PC, is a CPU hog. Game ports on 
most systems today behave in a vir- 
tually identical manner to the one you 
could get for the original IBM PC. Most 
game ports— including those on ISA- 
based sound cards — can consume 10 to 
1 5 percent of your CPU cycles because 
of the polling of tlie joystick input. On 
top of that, during the actual polling 
interval, interrupts are disabled— at 
least they arc in Wndows 95 — which 
further increases the latency of your net 
gaming experience. 

Almost everyone has been looking for- 
ward to the day that USB controllers will 
arrive in force. While uo were waiting. 
Pacific Digital Peripherals has sneaked in 
witli its Dghtning 4 game card. 

Tile Lightning 4 is a tme game geek’s 
delight- It can support up to four full-fea- 


turetl jo)'sticks or eight 2-axis, 2-button 
joysticks. It even comes with an extra 
bracket, so you can have four joystick 
ports. I connected a CM h^-16 Combat 
Stick, Prod'hrottic, and Pro Pedals and 
succc-ssfuily flew Fi.iC! □' SiMUUTOR 98 
and LONCitOW 2. 

More importantly, the l ightning has 
its own onboard processor to handle 
joystick polling, resulting in very' low 
CPU utilization— less than 0.2 percent 
in most cases. 'Hie card conies with a 
Dircctinput driver, the connector 
bracket, and a small demo utility that 
lets the device see eight joysticks in 
action (.s|)iilter cables arc not provided). 
Wliilc the card supports digital devices, 
such as Logitech’s Wingnian Extreme 
Digital, it doe.sn’l support the 
SideWinder h’orce feedback Pro, w'hicli 
requires the extra MIDI pin. If you're 
using a standard stick, though, you 
should have no problems. If you’re 


in,stalling it into an existing 
setup, make sure you dis- 
able any existing game 
ports, llic Lightning grabs 
I/O address 201, and you 
can’t change it. 

So if you’re looking to 
eke out that last bit of frame 
rate, take a look at your 
game card. Maybe it’s time 
to add a little Lightning to 
your rig. % 



^APPEAL: Game players looking 
for the best game card available. 
kPROS: Low CPU utilization; easy 
installation; four joystick ports. 


kCONS: 

Doesn’t 

worit with 

Microsoft's 

Force 

Feedback 

stick. 


mm 


Price: $119.95 
Vendor: Pacific Digital 
Peripherals, Inc. 

(805) 581-7023 

www.pdpi.net 


SEAGATE MEDALIST PRO 9140 • REVIEW kkkkt 


Closing the Gap 


by Loyd Case 

CSl devotees (me included) have 
long maintained that one of the 
.Kh anlages of sticking with SCSI 
is that the higher perfomiing 
technology drives are all SCSI, 
and that IDE drives are those low'ly 
devices that mn at a paltn' 5,400RPM 
—or less. 

Seagate just changed all that. 

^I he Medalist Pro 9140 is a 9.1GB 
UllraDMA/33 hard drive that spins at 
7,200W^M and has an a\'erage access 
time of less than 9 milliseconds. Tliis is 
in midrange SCSI territory', and the per- 
fonnance this drive delivers makes other 
EIDE drives seem like pale imitators. 
Using WnBcnch 98s Business Disk 
WinMark, 1 got a result of 1,500, some- 
thing I’ve previously seen only with fast 
7,200RPM SCSI drives on my Pentium 
11/233 test-bed. Disk drives being what 
they are, tliat score won’t be much dif- 
ferent on slower systems. (Wfe were care- 
ful i70f to use the Intel bus-mastering 


EIDE drivers, wiiich can give spuriously 
high results). 

This new incarnation of the Medalist 
uses most of the ad\'anccd technology 
you’d ex[DCCt from modem iiard drives, 
including MR heads (which helps 
increase the number of bits per inch on 
the disk— called areal density') and 
PRN'IL read channels. One of the more 
interesting features thats unique to this 
dri\’e is the use of fluid bearings. High- 
s[>ccd hard drives can be quite noisy, but 
the fluid bearings dampen the noise 
quite nicely. In addition, Seagate realizes 
that this drive w'ill be bought and possi- 
bly installed by consumers, so they 
mount a plate (called Seashieid) over the 
electronics to reduce the chance of dam- 
age to delicate comj3onents. 

Are there faster SCSI drives? Yes. 

Even some 7,200131’M SCSI dri\ es ha\’e 
faster internal transfer rates, and, current- 
ly, nothing touches llie 10,000 RPh'I dri- 
ves in tenns of rotating storage perfor- 


mance. 

But after 
ninning 

tlie Medalist Pro for some time now; it’s 
made my A L.ist for liot products. Tlie 
drive comes in a 9.1GB and a 6.4GB ver- 
sion. The 9.1GB drive should come in at 
around $500, while the 6.4GB unit will 
likciyliai'c a street price of around $350. 
Getting this level of perfonnance at 
these prices is a steal, ‘t 

^APPEAL; Anyone looking for 
high-perfomiance hard drives at a 
reasonable prica 

kPROS: It's a big, fast, quiet hard 
driva 

^COHS: Some systems need new 
BIOSes to support the 9.1GB size; 
best per- 
fonnance 
with 

UltraDMA/ 

33 con- 
trollers. 




iLABS 

RATED 



Price: S500 
Vendor: Seagate 
Technology 
408-438-8111 
www.seagatacom 



MARCH 1998 


ccw 


HARDWARE HARDWARE 





vCm^iCv 





C are ■ 

); 


^re to take Quake® to the next level. 

Jhe Micron™ Millennia® level. 

Dare to take your power to where you 
thrive amid peril and bloodshed. Where 
the others are gibbed, fragged and 
ruthlessly annihilated. Where you endure. 
And where Micron dominates. 


Get the Micron Millennia Xku, the addictive 
machine combining the latest technology 
and killer multimedia capabilities. Lock and 
load our Fusion 3O™ option, and you get DVD, 
2D and 3D graphics and a speaker system that 
will make your ears bleed. And, you'll get a blistering 
3D gaming bundle for more multimedia pursuits. 


Micron systems powered the recent QuakeCon ’97 competition. There, chief organizer 
)im (HzH) Elson said: "Among the hard-core Quake fans on the Internet, It's long 
been established that Micron machines are peerless when it comes to performance 
and reliability." 

Cyberathlete Dan (RIX) Hammans took first place at that QuakeCon '97, where 
Micron systems ruled. If you're serious about gaming, face real competition like 
RIX at www.cyberathlete.com. And if you’re serious about computers, 
dare to call Micron or visit our Web site today. 


Pentium^ 


MICRON MILLENNIA Xku ■ FUSION 3D OPTION PAK 



Winner, ef QuakeCon '97 


Intel z66MHz Pentiuni 0 II processor 
(features MMX"' technology) 

64MB SDRAM 

6.4CB Ultra ATA hard drive 

17" Micron 700FCX, .26dp (16" display) 


STANDARD FEATURES 

82/,4oLX chip set 
512K8 internal L2 cache, 2MB BIOS 
Integrated looMB Iomega Zip Drive, 3.5" floppy drive 
32X EIDE variable speed CD-ROM drive 
32 voice wavetable stereo sound. Advent 009 
speakers with subwoofer 
3Com/US Robotics 56K X2 telephony modem' 

Diamond Viper V330 128-bit 3D video with 4MB SCRAM 
Microsoft© IntelliMouse, USB connections 
Microsoft Windows© 95 and MS® Plus! 

Microsoft Office 97 Small Business Edition 
Choice of Micron Software Solutions Pak 
5-Year/3-Year Micron Power’' 
limited warranty 



DVD-ROM." DVD software 
E; Cool DVD PCI decoder card: 6 channel AC-3 to 2 
channel out capability 
AWE 6; ISA sound card 
Cambridge MicroWorks- 
2 speaker satellite with subwoofer stereo system 
Fusion 3D game pak; Mech Warrior 2: Mercenaries 
D3O version, AH-64D Longbow, 

U.S. Navy Fighters '97, Command £ 

Conquer, Formula 1 D3D version 
MS Sidewinder Pro joystick 



Quake® is a registered trademark and the 0 ™ logo is a trademark of Id Software, Inc. 

Call for information on our Software Solution Paks. Other Millennia configurations also available. 
To purchase a copy of Quake II, call Micron Additions at 888-8-MICRON. 

MICRON 

P5>WER 

MM mtMi Ml incnprKesH and man memw) 

3-rca MM pira«l| sysemiwnnq 

I-, I- w SfBr igtMl avtlli tardea igieemtni l« lUenn ttauc and unv sytlema 
SMi)] II Im Ikran^uRdild Dln«a u»al Im Uicnn Wllnoci tytlemi; 3 opoonal 
iKMMt maBag intn rctiaal laMimm ncludid Iv Uicivi aanci syslaira 
mtner back 

!(4m lacl^ «i^ 

Hu ImiM k ■ and «atM h Uiptn'a lUMarS MM Mnarttt and tEim 

iri cna il at Mat aid caiddm V uk im nry Ik Mcedk tndnnwii 
’ ’ Hand on tw Vm au K bi caing Uiem 


Micron Sales Hours: Mon-Fri 6am-iopm, Sat yam-spm. 
Sun loam-spm (MT) Technical Support Available 
21, Hours A Day-7 Days A Week. Toll free from Mexico; 
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Call now to order. 

888-669-0969 

www.micronpc.com 


MoMoMiKilKi 


Configured For Your Life." 





-k-k-k-k REVIEW • CS COHHAHDER 2 


Taking Control 


by Denny Atkin 



Price: S29,95 
Vendor: Galana 
Software 
Distributor: Flight Sim 
Central 
(800) 477-7467 
www.calanasw.com 
www.fscentrai.com 


I love the feel and amazing [irograni- 
mabilit)' ofThaistMaster’s FLCS 
joystick and TQS throttle, but 
they’re a real bear to program. 
Nonnally, programming 
'llimstMastcr’s joysticks rec[uires you to 
dive into a text-editing interface that 
only WordStar aficionados could love, 
not to mention that you have to deal 
with function macros and obscure 
acronyms for various button presses. But 
using CS COMMANDEit 2, you can sim- 
])ly click on the button you want to ])ro- 
gram (on an on-screen picture of your 
joystick or throttle), then click on the 
ke}^ you want that button to send (on an 
on-screen keyboard). It doesn't get much 
simpler than this. 

Of course, the program also supports 
and simplifies more comp!cx'lbni.st- 
Master programming. You can create 
macros for various functions, and then 
move them to a particular switch or but- 


ton with a simple drag-and-drop opera- 
tion. Itor instance, 1 created a macro that 
would activate liCM and dump bursts 
of both chaff and flares, and then 
mapped it to a single button-push. 

If you’re going to do more than assign 
.sim|jlc keystrokes to buttons, you’ll need 
to dive into CS CommAjNOEE 2’s thor- 
ough, illustrated, online help file. ’^Flrc file 
includes both reference material and 
tutorials. 'Ihercs no paper manual, but 
this is a ease in which online help makes 
more sense. I lowcs'cr, it would have 
been nice to see more infomiation on 
’^IbnistMasters programming language, 
because although CS ComM/VNDER 
simplifies things, taking full ad\"antage of 
)'our controllers reejuires familiarity with 
tlie languages mles. 'Ibe onl}- problem 1 
encountered was a runtime crash when 1 
didn’t specify the path for the Comman- 
der 2’s con fig files during installation. 

'Hie program supports the 



TbrustMasterWCS.’l'QS, i*'LCS, 
FCS, and F-22 controllers. Ifyou have 
any of these silting on your desk but 
you’ve been stuck with using the canned 
program files included with your games, 
checkout the CS COMMANDER 2. It 
could help you get the most out of your 
controllers' capabilities, % 

^APPEAL: Anyone looking for a 
friendlier ThrustMaster programming 
interface. 

^PROS: Offers point-and-click pro- 
gramming of simple commands; sim- 
plifies even complex macros. 

^COHS: You’ll still need to learn 
the details of the ThrustMaster com- 
mand lan- 
guage to 
take full 
advantage 
of your 
controllers. 


iumi 

RATED** A* 



Contains command sheets for 
Command & Conquer; Red Alert', 
Fighting Falcon F16', MDK', 
Microsoft Flight Simulator', 
Civilisation II’, Quake', Interstate 
76', Jet Fighter III', Tomb Raider', 
X Wing vs. Tie Fighter', Microsoft* 
Word or design your own. 


Wew... Revolutionary 
Keyboard Simplifier 
for PC Games 


Not the keyboard 


swipe the bar-code 


play the game 

Works with any PC game. 
Includes easy Windows program 
to design and print your own 
command sheet. 


replaces complex keyboard commands .f'’ 

play games f aster'^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ - ~ 

^ Pf^/Jlearn games quicker 

Available at CompUSA, Ba^bnR^omputer ; 

Egghead, Fry's, J&R Computer World, and Microcenter.-''' ' 


lit our web site at httpif/www.saitek. 


GO TO #159 


v.computergaming.com/infolink 













AcIiVisioN. 



Battlezone takes real-time 
strategy to the front lines. 

You are the high-level Commander making 
decisions from your own war-ravaged tank. Lead 
your U.S. troops on a mission to gain control of a 
superior alien technology in the true "space race" 
against the Soviets... or cross enemy lines to the 
Soviet side. It’s all under your command. 



Full-Scale 3-0 Action 

Pilot one of 20 anti-gravity 
war machines, and wield 
25 devastating weapons — 
including mortars, mines, 
and Wie Thumper Device 
which triggers on-the-fly 
earthquakes on the mor- 
phable terrain. 


Complete Strategic 
Control 

Coordinate full-scale attacks 
with over 30 unique units, 
such as tanks, infantry and 
mobile assault turrets. 

Build bases, deploy forces 
and manage resources — 
all from within your tank. 


Dynamic First-Person 
Immersion 

Lose your vehicle in battle, 
bail out, parachute to safe^; 
then use your sniper rifle 
to take over another unit. 
Switch vehicles right on the 
battlefield of one of seven 
distinct moons or planets! 


I 


Rocket Bomb 
Rocket Bomb 


Take Strategy to the Front Lines. 


HEAT enO HEAT.NET are Iroaemorhs of SegaSoH Nelwortis, (nc. All olhor trademarKs and Iratfa 


Ihe oropefties Of thoir reapeoUvB owners, www.octivislon.c 



GO TO #230 @ www.computergaming.com/infolinK 















'.computefgaming.com/infolink 


Longer 

range fjre 


V" 


m higher ground 

*!r\ 

r?: 




T; 


c;» r-- -•■ 







MacOS 




s 

'll 











The Most Respected Reviews 
in the Industry for 15 Years 


REVIEWS 


C6 Choice Barnes This Month 



HOW DO WE RATE? 


Quote of the Month 
those who have been 
turned off to adventure 
games by portentous 
Myst clones or feeble 
FMV mysteries. 
Monkey Island is 
the perfect 
tonic." 

— Jeff Green, 
reviewing Curse 
OF Monkey Island 



Outstanding: 


Vent ISond: 


Average: 


Weak: 



The rare game 


A high-qualily . 


A mixed bag. It 


A game With seri- 


I 

that gets it all 

I 

game that sue- 


can be a game 


ous problems, 


I 

tight. The graph- 

1 

ceeds in many ' . 

I 

that reaches for 

1 

Usually buggy, 


★ 

ics, sound, and 

areas, it may 

★ 

the stars, but 

seriously lacking 


gamepiay come 

have minor prob- 

falls short in sev- 

in play value, or 


together to form a 
Transcendent Gaming 
Experience, Our slrongest 
buying recommendation. 


lems, but is stili worth 
your money, especialiy if 
you're interested in the ; , 
subject matter or genre. 


just a poorly conceived 
. game design-you . 

■ should think long and ;; 
! hard before buying it. ■ ■ ; 


Abysmal: 

The rare game 
that gels it all 
wrong. This is 
reserved for those 
products so 
buggy, ill-conceived, or 
valueless that you won- 
der why they were ever 
released in the first place 




0F MAGIC 


T T sorcerer 

^ ViSjt, ^ Balkoth threatens the peaceful 

^ people of Urak with death and 

• destruction, brave heroes with 

t,ii !i magical powers must rise up to 

. stop the reign of terror and 

1 ( I C ( 1 1 r ( \ C e S jhe forces of tyranny. In 

Lords of Magic, the successor to the popular Lords of the 
Realm II, you enter a fantasy world where good and evil 
fight for primacy against a mystical backdrop of wizards, 
warriors, spells and storms, giants, j 
gnomes, and Barbarians. a»,-v j. . 


AS you cKjjlore the Idiid of Ufrxh,- • • 

you’ll b(xttle in dork atul inystenous 
caves, ctxstles and dimaeous 


through in strategy gaming, Lords of • 

Magic combines turn-based exploration ' ^ 

and resource management with real- 
time combat. Join forces with others * 

(up to six players can compete on a TI'i’l'IH 

LAN or over the Internet) or marshal 
your forces to take on Balkoth and his Barbarian allies alone. 
You’ll command up to Eighty creatures, including elves, 
vampires, skeletons, and gargoyles, as you defeat evil and save 
the realm. Wielding the forces of magic 
through spells and artifacts of power, 
Mjj|lji|l||RpH' d you can take multiple paths to victory; 

^ unlimited replayability. 

\ 

i Lords of Magic features a true 3-0 
game map, with 16 bit SVGA 
1 -o'O^v Graphics and a powerful rnap 

V A \ contr^ 

S. . ^ terrain height, topography^ 

\ and texture. 


more outcomes. 


uMinu.siciTu.corn 


SIERRA 

Impressions 








from those 

wonderful people 
who brought you 

vats of boilinv 




ACTION 


CCIV Review Index 


These Are the Games We Have Reviewed in the Last Three Months 


Game Name 

Issue 

Page 

Publisher 

Rating 

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain 

December 

306 

Activision 

-k-ki 

Chasm: The Rift 

February 

153 

GT Interactive 

kkk 

Defiance 

February 

160 

Visceral Productions/Avaion Hill 

kki 

Hexen II 

January 

216 

Activision 

kkki 

Jedi Knight 

December 

298 

LucasArts 

kkkki 

Mageslayer 

February 

153 

GT Interactive 

ki 

Nuclear Strike 

February 

159 

Electronic Arts 

kkkk 

Qddworld; Abe's Oddysee 

ftbruary 

146 

GT Interactive 

kkki 

Postal 

February 

150 

Ripcord Games 

kki 

Pro Pinball: TImeshock! 

January 

241 

Empire Interactive 

kkkkk 

Resident Evil 

January 

246 

Virgin Interactive 

kki 

Shadow Warrior 

January 

230 

GT Interactive 

kki 

Shadows of the Empire 

January 

227 

LucasArts 

kkki 

Shipwreckers! 

ftbruary 

159 

Psygnosis 

kkki 

Take No Prisoners 

January 

233 

Red Orb Entertainment 

k k 

Terraclde 

December 

316 

Eidos 

ki 

Time Warriors 

December 

325 

Malofilm 

kki 

Uprising 

February 

156 

3DO 

kkkk 

Vlftua Fighter 2 

January 

238 

Sega Entertainment 

kkkk 

X-Car 

December 

338 

Bethesda Softworks 

kkkk 


Byzantine 

February 

176 

Interplay 

kkki 

Dark Earth 

February 

172 

MicroProse 

kkki 

Dragon Lore It 

December 

328 

Cryo 

kki 

Fallout 

January 

250 

Interplay 

kkkki 

Meridian 59 Revelation 

February 

165 

300 

kkki 

Riven 

January 

254 

Red Orb Entertainment 

kkki 

Ultima Online 

February 

162 

Electronic Arts 

ki 


Boggle 

February 

230 

Hasbro interactive 

kkki 

Galapagos: Mendel's Escape 

February 

228 

Electronic Arts 

kkkk 

Lose Your Marbles 

December 

391 

SegaSoft 

kkkki 

Smart Games Puzzle Chailenge 2 

January 

314 

RandomSoft 

kkkkk 


Armored Fist 2 

February 

204 

NovaLogic 

★ * 

Fighters Anthology 

December 

384 

Jane's Combat Sims 

kkki 

Flight Simulator 98 

December 

374 

Microsoft 

kkki 

Forced Alliance 

February 

209 

Ripcord Games 

kkki 

iF'16 

January 

256 

Interactive Magic 

kki 

Sabre Ace 

February 

200 

Virgin Interactive 

kki 

Star Fleet Academy 

December 

368 

Interplay 

kkki 


ABC’s Monday Night Football 98 

December 

346 

ABC Interactive 

kkkki 

Diamond Mind Baseball 7.0 

December 

342 

Diamond Mind 

kkki 

NBA Action 98 

February 

195 

Sega Entertainment 

kkk 

NBA Live 98 

February 

194 

EA Sports 

kkkki 

NFL Legends 98 

December 

362 

Accolade 

ki 

NHL 98 

February 

186 

EA Sports 

kkkk 

NHL Open Ice 

February 

187 

GT interactive 

k k 

NHL Powerplay 98 

February 

182 

Virgin interactive 

kkkk 


7th Legion 

January 

285 

MicroProse 

kkki 

Achtung! Spitfire 

December 

400 

Avalon Hili 

kkkkk 

Age of Empires 

January 

270 

Microsoft 

kkkki 

Battleground 8: Prelude to Waterloo 

January 

302 

TalonSoft 

kkkk 

Birthright 

December 

416 

Sierra On-Line 

★ ★★ 

Buccaneer 

January 

309 

Strategic Simulations 

ki 

Civil War Generals 2 

February 

226 

Sierra On-Line 

kk 

Close Combat 2: A Bridge Too Far 

February 

218 

Microsoft 

kkkki 

Conquest Earth 

January 

293 

Eidos 

kk 

Dark Reign 

December 

394 

Activision 

kkkk 

East Front 

February 

216 

TalonSoft 

kkk 

Imperialism 

Decsmber 

403 

Strategic Simulations 

kkkki 

incubation 

January 

289 

Blue Byte Software 

kkki 

Man of War 

January 

299 

Virgin Interactive 

kki 

Myth: The Fallen Lords 

February 

212 

Bungle 

kkkki 

Netstorm 

February 

224 

Activision 

kkki 

Outpost 2 

December 

414 

Sierra On-Line 

kkki 

Panzer General 11 

January 

261 

Strategic Simulations 

kkkkk 

Pax Imperia: Eminent Domain 

February 

221 

THO 

kki 

Sid Meier's Gettysburg 

January 

274 

Electronic Arts 

kkkki 

Total Annihilation 

January 

281 

GT Interactive 

kkkki 

War Inc. 

January 

304 

Interactive Magic 

kki 


MARCH 1998 




ACTION 


,-k-k-k-ki REVIEW • QUAKE II 



I Wanna Kill! 


Improved Single-Player Action and Dazzling 
Graphics Highlight Quake’s Triumphant Return 

by Dave Salvator 






Price: S59 
System Requirements; 

Pentium 90, Windows 95, 
16MB RAM, 50MB hard- 
drive space, 4!< CD-ROM 
drive, Sound Biaster- 
compatible sound card. 

3D Support: OpenGL, 3Dfx, 
PowerVR. 
Multiplayer Support: LAN 
and Internet TCP/IP {2-32 
players); no CD required 
with 225MB install. 
Designer: id Software 
Publisher: Activision 
Santa Monica, CA 
(800) 477-3650 
www.idsottware.com 



have come in overall ie\'el design, and 
mission based “units," in which you have 
actual objectives rather than jusl finding 
keys to open doors and exit the level. 
Tlierc's actually a story line in w'hich 
)ou re pitted against the Strogg, an alien 
race hell-bent on the destRiction of 
humanit)'. Okay, not the most original 
story line in the worid, but fortunate!}', 
the missions from unit to unit have a cer- 
tain continuity and flow. Also, as you bat- 
tle }'our way toward tlie inner sanctum, 
}'our missions include retrieving a 
severed head for a retina! scan, 
knocking out a reactor, and dis- 
abling a communications s)'stem. 

One thing any first-person 
game has to do is set a mood to 
draw you in and keep you wimting 
more. Qll sets the mood early on, 
and ] found that each night I 
pla}’ed, by the time 1 reached a 
“practical stopping-point,” it was 
2:30 in the morning— again. Qll’s 
audio became much more 
immersive when 1 used head- 
phones, and made the overall 
mood much creepier. Qll defi- 
nitely has the jones factor. 

There are several elements 
froin Doom evident in Qll; There 
are small health units that you can 
still accumulate beyond 100 

TRANSMISSION TROUBLE One Of your Qll missions is to take out this communications station, health points, as well as annor 


w'anna kill. 1 wanna 

I kill!” shouted the iconic 
character in “/Mice’s 
Restaurant.” If, in a 
similar vein, }'ou have 
homicidal tendencies 
in }our computer gam- 
ing experiences, we 
have one thing to say: 
“QuakI''. 11 is your hoy!” 
After wowing action gamers with the 
world’s first true 3D shooter, id Software 


has rocket-jum[)ecl the “If it moves, shoot 
it!” genre to the next level in Qll. 

PLAYING WITH YOURSELF 

One of the primary criticisms of 
QU/KKE was that its single-pla}er game- 
play was weak, a by-])roduct of uninspir- 
ing level design and borderline brain- 
dead Al. Tliis time around, the A1 is 
more “special ed” than brain dead, a 
sliglit improvement, but not mucli. The 
bluest improvements for solo sloggers 



ccw 


MARCH 1998 



QUAKE II • REVIEW 



GET BENT, GET DEAD Like the monsters, you can crouch, too. 
While handy for hiding, it’ll leave you a sitting, or crouching 
duck in a firefight. 

shards (small amounts of armor to bolster whatever armor you 
have). Qll also features the new and im])ro\'ed BFG lOK, \’er)' 
hands’ for clearing entire rooms. Monsters are more of the 
cs'borg variant — ])art humanoid, part machine —and ha\'e 
higher polygon counts than QU/\KI':’s ne’er-do-wells, so their 
movements seem much more realistic. And ss'hcn they do final- 
ly give up the ghost, some, like the guards, have a last dying ges- 
ture: 'Ihey either flail around on the ground before expiring or 
the\’ sit up to tr\' to fire one last shot before passing on. So, )'ou 
definitely have an incenth e to reduce them to giblets. 

Most of the same ])ower-ups are back in Qll, except for the 
Ring of Shadows (invisibility), which has been re[)laced by the 
Silencer. All power-ups, underwater breathers, and environ- 
mental suits can be stored in your inventory and used wlicn 
needed. It’s very handy indeed to have on-demand quad dam- 
age for those especially hairy moments. 

Each unit through which } ou bat- 
tle consists of three or four intercon- 
nected QUAKK-sized levels. One 
annoyance with the new larger“units” 
is that whenever you reach a connec- 
tor behsecn two levels, there’s nothing 
to tell \ou which le\'el )'ou’re about to 
enter. Having this might seem like 
something of a crutch, but gi\'en the 
longer load times between levels, it 
would have been a helpful addition. 

The Strogg combatants are a little 
smarter than their QUAKE ancestors, 
though the\’’re still not an especialK' 
bright lot. In Qll. some of the baddies 


can crouch to duck your shot, though they slay crouched long 
enough to become catchers of your lead fastball. l\vo words: 
Aim lower. Tire monsters’ /\I routines are scripted, so tliey can't 
react d)’namicall)' to what you're doing, but there are some 
clever effects. For exam|Dle, some preset events take place at 
certain Y-junctions: You might come in, go left, start partying 
with a couple of Stroggs, and suddenly realize that you’re also 
taking fire from behind, 'Flic other pranksters were lurking on 
the other side of the Y-junction and have decided to join the 
fun. So, while individual A1 isn't stellar, enemy placement and 
clustering can still keep you on your toes. 

Ilie three difficulty levels— easy, medium, and hard— seale 
up the number of foes and the number of hit points needed to 
down your enemies, while reducing the amount of health 
scattered throughout the units. Qll doesn’t have a Nightmare 
difficult)’ level, but the Hard setting should keep you sufficient- 
ly overwhelmed. 

Tlie final showdow'n is with the Strogg commander, one big- 
assed boss whose arsenal includes a BFG and twin chain guns. 
Ouch, Without giving away too much, there's a very cool 
sequence during the i^inal Showdown tliat’s reminiscent of 
Mens. The final lev'd also has a pretty cool secret that I’ll leave 
you to discover. 

THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR 

One thing that Qii/\Ki': did absolutel)' right was its multiplay- 
er gameplay. Qll, therefore, faces a huge challenge to outdo its 
[)redecessor in this arena. ’Ihc news here is for the most part 
good, witha fewweakne.sses. First, the good stuff: 

As in single-pla)'cr action, )'ou can opt to store power-ups or 
have them instantly activated. Among the Frags-R-Us crowd 
here at CCW, the opinions about power-up hoarding are 
mixed. Some like it, while others think it unfairly tilts gamepla)'. 
Ihithcr than glowing, a jjlayer with the quad turns blue, whereas 
.someone with invulnerability turns bright red. Definitely a case 
in which it’s better to give than receive. Another cool addition is 
that \’ou get a countdown when a power-up is activated so )X)U 
know' when its about to nin out of gas. 

Curiously, co-op multiplayer is now-here to be found in QII. 

It probably wasn’t the [)referred way to pla)' Qliake multiplayer, 
but it w'as fun. Qll no longer supports LAN multiplayer using 
the ! protocol; it now uses only TCP/IR Tluinkfully, setting 
up'LCP/IP has become much less painful in Windows 95. 

Multiplayer gamc[>lay feels similar to QilxkE’s, though your 
weapon is held to one side, so 
theres a bit of learning curve 
to aiming in Qll. You can set 
your weapon to be centered, 
but it won't be visible. The 
bluest dow’ncr in Qils mul- 
tiplayer is that tliere aren’t 
any levels included that are 
expressly multiplayer levels. 
All DeathMatch levels are 
actual single-player levels, 
and while some make for 
good DeathMatch levels, 
they’re not quite up to the six 
>**Conlintjed on pg 134 



CCW 



MARCH 1998 


ACTION 



ACTION 


■A’k'kik 


REVIEW • TOMB RAIDER II 



Back In Tomb 



Price: $49.95 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 90 or better, 
Windows 95, 16MB RAM 
(32MB recommended). 
1MB hard-drive space, 4x 
CD-ROM, Windows 95- 
compatible sound and 
video cards. 
3D Support: Direct3D. 
Muitlplayer Support: 

None. 

Designer: Core Design 
Publisher: Eidos 
Interactive 
San Francisco, CA 
(800) 617-8737 
www.eidosinteractive.com 




k Bit Less Tomb-Raiding and Some Minor Poiishing Makes for a 
Decent Sequel 


by Thierry Nguyen 


ho w;is il, I won- 
der, that .started 
the idea that 
archaeology is a 
sexy profession. 
{Okay, 1 also won- 
der how [.ara 
Croft can run 
around Tibet in 
short-shorts, but 
tliats a different topic.) in all the 
Indiiinu Jones movits and in Toxin 
archaeology looks to be a 
career full of danger, intrigue, and many 
tombs. In reality, the job usually 
involves endless, monotonous digging 
and sifting, but you can continue the 
fantasy ideal of archaeology via the lat- 
est installment of Core Design’s ToMB 
HxiDK.It .series. 

DEADLY DAGGER 

In the original Tomb RMni'',Ryou 
searched for the Scion that w ould 
unlock the secret of Atlantis and its fate; 
Tomb llxiniai 11 has you going after the 
my.stical Dagger ofXian. llie game 
opens with a fancy-looking h’MV 
sequence demonstrating the pow cr of 
the Dagger, as it turns its owner into a 
Dragon, You then .see it buried beneath 
the Great Wall of China. Tiats your 


► WITHIN YOUR GRASP This is the Temple of Xian, where the famed Dagger resides. 
Don’t think your quest ends here though. 


► welcome back Many of the new levels are outdoors or under- 
water, but the Tibetan foothills are reminiscent of Tomb Raider, 


setup. Unless you opt for training in 
Diras mansion, .starting the game will 
whi.sk you off to the Great Wall w'hcrc 
you then begin your journey through IS 
game Icv'cls. 

MORE GRAPHICS 

ThegameplayinTOMR llxiniaill is 
identical io that in its predecessor. There 
have been no serious overhauls here; 
mosl of the changes are minor tweaks, 
fixes, and additions. 

Lara has a few new mo\’cs and a few 
new weapons. She now' shows a new' 
style of climbing and has the ability to 
flip undenvater 
and in the air, 
Tliegamefea- 
hircs a few w'atcr 
threats and some 
pu//,lcs that 
require you to use 
her new' moves, 
lunally, there arc 
a few instances in 
which lAira gets 
to pilot s'chiclcs (a 
.speedboat and a 
skimobile). 

As for her 
wea[)ons. the 


magnums from the original game arc 
gone. In their place are full-blown auto- 
matic pistols, 'ilicre is also a harpot.)n, a 
greuadc-lanncher, and an M-16, In 
inventory, the only additions are flares 
and three Dragon Statues, which .signih’ 
secrets in each !e\'el. 

One of the more hyped-about 
changes in Tomb Raider 11 is Liras 
famed ]X)nytail. WTen 1 finsl heard about 
it, I scoffed. I must admit, though, that it 
did look prctt\’ cool, as the ponytail 
reacts to the enviroiiment, swa)'ing rcal- 
isticall)’ in the ss'ind or water, or under 
the force of gravity, 

/Xnother hyped graphics change is the 
dynamic ligliting. It’s also done well and 
is be.st demonstrated by either throwing a 
flare or firing a grenade dowii a dark tun- 
nel, 1 ara has a limited suppi)’ of flares, 
though, so )t)ii may need to use your pis- 
tols (which still have unlimited ammo) 
as a substitute flashlight. 

1b complement the improvements in 
the graphics. Core Design has 
enhanced the game’s sound. Urcre’s 
more speech this time, as well as better- 
sounding w'capons. 1 lie magnum and 
the U/,i used to .share a very flat, dull 
firing noi.se, but now' game .sounds pack 
a punch. 


A 


ccw 


MARCH 199B 



TOHB RAIDER II • REVIEW 





LESS TOMB RAIDING 

Altliough the engine and gameplay 
are basically the same, the setting has 
undergone a significant change. There’s 
less emphasis on tombs this lime, as you 
explore levels ranging from the 
Catacombs of Talion and the Wreck of 
the Maria Doria to Venice and an 
Offshore Oil Rig, 

The level design in this game has 
improved significantly Many of the lev- 
els are more interesting architecturally, 
and the traps are a lot more devious. 
'This game is definitely tailored for the 
To.MB Rmder veteran, not the newbie. 
Quite a few of the traps are based on the 
"die and restore” priirciple, in which you 
die when you first encounter the trap to 
see how it works, and then restore a 


► massive machinery Tomb Raider II ai 
new textures for the various new levels, 
this unden/vater shipwreck. 


saved game to tackle it seriously. 

You'll need to save a lot more fre- 
quently this time. While these 
traps were annoying, others simply 
required a good sense of timing 
and some quick thinking. A good 
example is the small gauntlet of 
razor blades, spikes, and boulders 
in the first level; consider it a test to 
see how well you'll do in tire rest of 
the game. Between the levels, 
you’ll sometimes get either a pre- 
rendered or in-game cut-scene 
detailing more of tire story. 

Tire enemy variety has also 
widened a bit. TTie previous game 
focused more on animals and exotic 
creatures. Now, we get animals, some 
exotic beasts, and a lot of humans. Tomb 
R/MDER was slower paced, as 
ihe animals came at you every 
once in a while; but TOMB Us 
pace has been quickened with 
more human opponents popu- 
lating the levels. The human 
opponents brandish weapons 
ranging from simple baseball 
bats to nasty flamethrowers, 
Tire animals look much better 
now, but the humans look 
primitive in comparison. 

The game is improved, but I 
still have some issues with it. 


□ds many 
such as 


Lovable Lara 


I f there is one thing 1 learned 
from Tomb Raider, it’s that 
martteting can do wonders for 
a game. Eidos has managed to 
create the most hyped character 
in the history of gam- 
ing. Who else but 
Lara could be the ,/ \ 

oniy fictional char- T ” 

Digi^Ps List of l ]H 

Influential People in 
the Computer 

It’s also painfully 
obvious to whom 
Eidos was marketing 
this game. Lara again 
sports a tight shirt and 
short-shorts through her adven- 
tures, which makes even less 
sense now that she is traipsing 


around frigid Tibet. I guess a 
wetsuit and bomber jacket could 
be considered an Improvement, 
but she’s still got those neaiiy 
nonexistent short-shorts. And 

. when she’s in 
^ a skimpy 
J nightgown 
'C - : / and taunts 

1^ / you at the 

J conclusion, 
you km\N whom 
the game was 
made for. 

It’s too bad more 
emphasis was placed on 
^ Lara’s looks than on the 
game’s content, if Core Design 
had concentrated more on the 
actual game, Tomb II would’ve 
probably been a contender for 
action game of the year. 


LARA'S RIDE Now Lara gets to pilot speedboats and skimobiles 
in certain le^ls. 

Core has added better lighting and tex- 
tures, but there are still horrible clipping 
problems. Lara’s arm often disappears 
into the wall, and in some rare cases, 
enemies waltz right through doors. Also, 
the plot is weak, with virtuallj’ no back 
story. Lara decides to go after the Dagger 
in the Great Wall. . .well, just because. 

At least money was offered as the moti- 
vation in the original. 

Finally, the biggest issue is a simple 
case of sequelitis. This is TOMB Rxider 
but with more guns and better level 
design. Some people don’t mind this: 

Doom 11 did the same sort of thing, and 
it’s not necessarily bad. But because this 
is essentially the same game, much of 
the freshness of the original is lost. 

The bottom line is this; If you liked 
the first Tomb RAiniai, you’ll probably 
like this one. They’ve made enough 
changes to make it interesting, but its no 
longer breathtaking. If you didn’t like the 
first game, this won’t make you change 
your mind. Newcomers on their first 
date witli Lara should be warned that 
Tomb II was made for veterans who 
completed the first game. A third install- 
ment is planned, so let’s hope that Core 
pulls some new tricks out of its hat and 
gives us a better edition next time. % 

^APPEAL: Fans of the original, 
action gamers who like tough puzzles. 

^PROS: Some beautiful levels; better 
pacing and puzzles; improved graph- 
ics and sounds. 


►CONS: Weak 


plot; puzzles may 


annoy beginners; 


some of the o d 


engine troubles 


remain. 




MARCH 1998 


ccw 


ACTION 




1,1 


K.Gatnes] 


Id of WoBMs2,''Tfifs.aifi!lf 
me flf reirenge and mean-Tninded cruelty 
features a mind-ldnmng array of wariy weapons. 
Wtty speecfi, dynamite sound effects and original 
music. Brain-ticiling strategy and politically correct 
violence. Go it alone Worm&o-style against 11 other 
Worms in the 18 player hot-seat game, or wage 6 
player mayhem over a lAH or the Internet! 

Visit your local retailer or call 24 hours: 
1-800-695-GAME (U.S. and Canada) 


www.worms2.com 


wiNDOWS-gs 


If you're fjreathiiigr you won't 
[36 able to stop playing it! 


www.microprose.com 


GO TO #099 ® www.computiergaming.com/infolinh 





C-POLICE • REVIEWAAAAy 


Blue Wonder 

Psygnosis Puts Out a Dazzling Sci-Fi Helicopter Shooter 




by Scott A. May 



I f you’ve l)een wailing to buy a 
3D-accclcratcd gra|)liics card, 
Psygnosis may liave come up 
with a reason you simply can’t 
refuse: C-POUCE, Ported from 
the original Pla)'Station version 
(excellent in its own right), this 
Win 95 sci-fi shooter emerges as 
one of the fastest, most visually 
im[)ressive arcade games ever 
made. Tliis isn't just empty praise. One 
look and )Ou’ll be a believer. 

The game begins \\ith a lengthy FM\^ 
sequence to introduce the back stor)' and 
the intricate plot. In the 21st centiir)'. 
Earth has been rendered a dead planet, 
thanks to years of environmental 
neglect, resource plundering, and war. 
Nations and governments have toppled, 
and the entire planet is no\s’ controlled 


by a handful of greedy, global corpora- 
tions. I'lungry for new resources, 
humans have begun to colonize and rav- 
age the worlds beyond Earth. 

One such space colon)' has sprouted 
on Callislo, one of Jupiter’s moons. 
Because thcrcs no life-sustaining atmos- 
phere on Callisto, the surface consists of 
a large complex of interconnecting 
domes. Some domes contain large 
urban sjjrawls, complete w'ith massive 
sky'scrajrers and busy spaceports. Out- 
lying domes house smaller communities, 
fanns, and mining operations. 

'lb maintain law and order on 
colonics such as Callisto, Earth’s coqro- 
ratc leaders have created a galactic 
jjolicc force called the G-l\)lice. As Jeff 
Slater, a emsty war veteran and master 
pilot with an asteroid-sized chip on wiir 
shoulder, )Ou join the G-Police to inves- 
tigate the tragic, unsohed murder of 
)(nir sister, a fomier G-Police pilot. 
Before you solve the murder, though, 

)'Ou have to play cop: tracking smugglers, 
securing zones, scanning for contraband, 


► CATCH THE WAVE Gamers who have 3D 
in G-Police, such as this series of shock 


accelerators will be overwhelmed by the stunning graphics 
waves set off by your deadly bomb. 


and blasting various evildoers. Along tlie 
w'ay, you’ll uncover clues not only to your 
sister’s death, but also to an ominous 
conspiracy that reaches directl)' into the 
corporations themselves. 

CRY HAVOC 

You begin G-Poi ,ICE piloting an 
assault vehicle called the DASA-Kamov 
gunship, a HAVOG-style helicopter 
anned to the teeth. 'Ihough futuristic by 
toda)'’s standards, this airship is consid- 
ered a rickety bucket of bolts by the 
game’s lead character. But therein lies its 
charm. Wiile other shooters, sci-fi or 
not, outfit their players w'ith the latest 
and greatest fighting machines, there’s 
something romantic, la Rond Warrior, 
about placing a bruised and beaten hero 
behind the stick of a lcs,s-than-perfect 
vehicle. It not onty offers a greater chal- 
lenge, but also com'cys the idea that true 
fighting spirit is measured by inner forti- 
tude, not outward flash. 

'Ihe gunship uses an arcade flight 
model, w'hich is both good and bad. 

Helicopter fanatics may 
consider it superficial, but 
then again, the game does 
not pretend to be a tnie 
flight sim. On the other 
hand, for anyone w'ho has 
ever struggled to learn true 
helicopter flight dynamics, 
it’s a w'cleome simplifica- 
tion. Tlic truth is, this gun- 
ship flics and controls 
more like a hovercraft 
than a helicopter. 
Wliatever your opinion of 
the flight model’s realism, 
this is certain; Gontrol is 
fast, tight, and responsive. 
Novice pilots can go 
througii several training 
missions in order to 
acquaint themselves with 
the gun.ship’s navigational 
systems, inaneuv'erability, 
and ordnance. 





Price: $49.99 
System Requirements: 

Pentium 133 {P166 rec- 
ommended), Windov^s 
95, 16MB RAM (32 MB 
recommended). 2MB 
hard-drive space, 4x 
CD-ROM drive; sup- 
ports Direct Sound- 
compatible sound 
cards, joysticks, MMX, 
and AGP technologies, 
3D Support: Direct30. 
AGP, 

Multiplayer Support; 

None. 

Designer: Psygnosis 
Publisher: Psygnosis 
Foster City, CA 
(415) 655-8000 

www.psygnosis.com 


MARCH 1998 


ccw 


ACTION 




The most anticipated BJ?G of the year. 


In the FORGOTTEN REALMS®, we ve lived through foul pestilence, 
vicious battles, exorbitant taxes, and even the occasional dragon. But 
when HE showed up, things really started getting ugly. 

Prepare to be immersed into a world of intrigue and mystery on a 
perilous quest to rescue a storied land from impending war. Even your 
own soul is at stake as you and a party of adventurers become entangled 
in a dangerous riddle of betrayed alliances, dark prophecies and murder. 

Will you become the unlikely hero of the story, or merely another of 
its unfortunate casualties? Before you answer, the big guy here might 
have something to say about it. 

Explore an immense, intricate game world - from cloud-covered 
mountains & rain drenched plains to dark catacombs & abandoned 
temples - all meticulously rendered in lush, i6-bit SVGA graphics. 

Invoke more than too spells - Freeze enemies with an icy blast 
from a Ck)nc of Cold, or incinerate them with a searing stream of 
magical flame. 

Push your leadership skills to the limit as you guide a party of up 
to six characten, each with a personality that affects gameplay. 
Don’t let your stubborn fighter pummel the arrogant thief - you 
may need their teamwork in your next battle. 

Create your character from six AD&D® races and 26 different 
classes and subclasses. You control every attribute, down to skin 
and hair color, weapons, and armor - all accurately 
depicted on-screen. 








|;||l) J/ ,y^ e BY(iAM£RS.FOIIGAMI!KS' Du ngSonsScDrag OnS* 

www.interplay.com 

i resorvod. BALDUR'S GATE. FORGOTTEN REALMS. Ihe FORGOTTEN REALMS logo, ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D^ Uia AD&D logo and Uw.TSFtlOBO 

Coast, Inc., and are used by Inteiplay under license. Interplay, Ihe Interplay logo and "By Gameis, For Garners." are irademartw.ol IntarjHay ;PF;aduoltone.WI,tt9ftl»i«arViKtTh»BldV 

I rights reserved. Exclusively licensed and dlsltlbulad by Interplay Productions. All olhor copyrights and tradernarKs are the properly tS'tbeii'f^p^ive owners. 


GO TO #076 @ www.cornputergamlng.ccm/infolink 


ACTION 


REVIEW • G-POLICE 



THE DOGS OF WAR 

Gameplay is comprised of some 35 
mi,ssions, with fascinating InMV 
sequences interspersed to advance the 
stoiy'line, introduce new characters, and 
build upon the sinister plot. Missions are 
strictly linear, whicli means you must ade- 
C[uately complete one before heading to 
the next. Most missions have both prima- 
ry and secondary goals. I'ailure to com- 
plete a goal requires that )'ou start tlic mis- 
sion again from scratch. Games can be 
saved between missions, but not in-flight, 
which makes some of the later, lengthier 
sorties frustratingly difficult to finish. On a 
negativ’e note, the first half of the game 
has some pretty repetitive missions. 
Persevere, however; it’s well worth it. 

'llie game defaults to first-person 
view, although multiple camera 
angles — sueh as ehase, fly-b)’, and over- 
head-can be accessed via hotkej’s. 

There’s plent)’ of heavy weaponiy' to 
a-ssist and amuse you l!m)iighout the 
game. Your standard weapon is a nose- 
mounted 30mm fixed cannon, featuring 


an extremel}' high fire rate and an annoy- 
ing Icjidency to overheat. Otlier ordnance 
includas a variety of short-, medium-, and 
long-range missiles; bombs; lasers; plasma 
launchers; and pulse paraly/ers. 

Tlie new wea[Dons pack a wallop, but 
my favorites arc definitely the slarburst 
dispersion missiles, which launch in 
bursts of eight, and the lOOOKg bomb, 
which unleashes a shockwave unlike 
anything else }ou’ve ever seen. 

EYE CANDY 

ideres tlie l>est part. G-POUCE features 
gra[5hics that arearguabl}'the most elaho- 
rate and fantastic to ever grace the coin- 
jjutcr screen. Although the game doesn’t 
rec|uire a 3D-accelerated video card, its 
beauty caiVt be lotall)' appreciated without 
one. Most missions take place in city 
domes, with mjTiad skvserapers, each 
MlP-ma[j[Ded with stunnuigly realistic tex- 
tures, Hashing lights, signs, and billboards. 
Like scenes from Blade fti/rner, these 
urban vistas are absolutely furious with 
activity, both on the ground and in the air. 

Other grajjiiic goodies include spec- 
tacular explosions, transparencies, light- 
source .shading, and lens flares. If you 
don’t hav'c a beefy machine, )ou can 
toggle various graphics effects. Tested on 
a P233MMX with both 3D Blaster and 
Monster 3D cards installed, with all set- 
tings on high, the frame rate and control 
were absolutcl)' liquid. Tire game is even 
.smart enough to recognize multiple 
2D/3D cards, allowing >'ou to pick v our 
preference before loading. Finally, this is 
one of the first games to support the new 
Pentium II with AGP technolog)'. 

Blazing action, resplendent gnijjhies, 
and an intelligent story line — C-PoiJCIi 
has it all. If you rate a games enjoyment 
by its "wow” factor, put this one at the lop 
ofyourlist.% 


^APPEAL: Advanced-level sci-fi 
blast masters. 

^PROS: Knockout 3D-enhanced 
graphics and sound effects; large 
variety of missions and locations; 
genuinely interesting story line. 
►CONS; Steep 
system require- 
ments; no multi- 
player options; 
missions eventu- 
ally become 
repetitive. 


^ The End of 
Console Crud 

F or years, computer play- 
ers have thumbed their 
collective noses at 
games ported from consoles, 
and for good reason. Typical 
console ports have been shod- 
dy, designed simply to 
squeeze more revenue out of 
popular videogame titles. How 
else can you explain the likes 
of Mortu. Kombat, Ten Pin 
Alley, or Madden Football on 
the PC? 

Psygnosis has changed all 
that with G-Police, a 
PlayStation conversion so 
good that it does more than 
merely raise the stakes for 
other publishers: It sets a 
whole new standard of excel- 
lence. From here on out, PC 
gamers should expect nothing 
less than what Psygnosis has 
painstakingly achieved. Hell, 
we should demand it. 

Much credit goes to sec- 
ond-generation programmers 
who now fully comprehend the 
power and potential of 30 
accelerators. Let’s admit it, 

PC gamers have always been 
secretly jealous of their con- 
sole counterparts. What con- 
sole games lacked In depth, 
they more than made up for 
with a combination of test 
action and killer visuals, 
thanks to dedicated graphic 
processors. At long last, the 
tide has turned, thanks to 
advances in PC hardware that 
have been long overdue 
But the ultimate kudos 
should go to the new genera- 
tion of console-to-PC 
conversion artists who finally 
take pride In their work. 
Programmers like the in-house 
crew at Psygnosis are begin- 
ning to deliver quality prod- 
ucts far beyond previous 
expectations. 

So thanks, Psygnosis, for 
throwing down the gauntlet. 
G-Police proves how extraor- 
dinary console conversions 
can be. 



A 


ccw 


MARCH 199B 
























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action action 


■M-k-k REVIEW • MANX TT 



Moto Chaser 

by Kelly Rickards 


Price: S30.00 
System 
Requirements: 
Pentium 90, 
lA/inctows 95, 16MB RAM. 
3D Support: 3Dfx. 
Multiplayer Support: 
lodem, serial link (2 play- 
irs), LAN (2-8 players): 1 
CD per player. 
Publisher: Sega 
(888) SEGASALES 
www.sega.com 


S ega iias once again clipped into its 
huge library of arcade titles to 
bring a fast-paced motorcycle 
race)- to the PC world — M/\NX TT, 
its 1995 motorcycle racing sim 
based on Englands annual Isle of Man 
Trophy Race. 

Graphically, M/\NXTT is breathtak- 
ing, especially with a 3Dfx board. Tliis is 


the first Sega PC game that looks better 
on the PC than in the arcades. Texture 
detail is vivid, with realistic polygonal 
models, 'lire frame rate was smooth, 
never dipping below 24fps on a 3Dfx- 
enhanced P200MMK Overall, M/\NX 
has a visual flair that’s hard to fault. 

Manx enjoyed only lukevs’ami success 
in the arcades. Part of the proldem is that 
the game only had two tracks. 
Unfortunately. Sega didn’t add any 
new' tracks to this port. Since the 
game is based on the Isle of Man 
Irophy Race, there is really only one 
racing course in the game. Players 
can race a long and a short version of 
the main course, and the PC version 
adds reversed/mirrored versions of 
each track (so >ou can race them 
backAvards), but thats it. 

lire gameplay is fast-paced and 
fun, but lack of variety really 
inhibits the overall playing experi- 
ence. For what amounts to just a 




REVIEW • QUAKE II 


^*>Conlinued from pg 123 


DeathMatch levels that shipped with 
the first QUAKE. 

On the upside, QIls DeathMatch 
players look much better and have a v-aii- 
et)' of skins, both male and female. In 
addition, there are three wave gestures 
you can flash opponents; the salute, the 
crotch-grab, and the bird. 

HARDWARE ACCELERATION VS. 
SOFTWARE IMAGE QUALITY 

Qu.-xkE had 3D accelerator support for 
Rendition when it shipped, and it was 
ported to run on OpenCL, nmning best 


on 3Dfx. Qll has again opted for 
OpenCL and has specific ])orts for 3Dfx 
and 13>wcrVR If )uu have a 2D/3D 
board with an OpenCL driver (like a 
Pemiedia 2-based board), Qll should 
mn accelerated on your sj'stem. Wlien 
hardware accelerated, the effect is noth- 
ing siiort of stunning. Improved dynamic 
lighting, colored lighting, and higher pol}'- 
gon counts on the models all contribute 
to create a much more com[)eIling effect. 
^\dlen the game runs in software, many 
of the lighting effects aren't present, and 
QIl’s image quality does suffer. Despite 
the sy'steni requirements listed on the 
box, Qll doesn’t really mn well unless 
)ou’vcgot more than 32MB ofsj'stem 
RAM. Tliere was some lag in weapon 
switching on 32MB rigs. Some of this 
latency is built-in and designed to be 
part of the gameplay, but at times it 
would actual!)' pause the game while 
it brought up the animation for the 
new weapon. 



\ 


BAD GUY 60 BOOM Things, and monsters for 
that matter, blow up with great fanfare, com- 
plete with particles. 


IN THE AFTERMATH 

Does Qll deliver on the promise 
of being a solid sequel? Well, in a 





two-track 
game, Manx 
T l' does sport some decent 
features. 'Ihcrc are four different 
modes of play; arcade (the original two 
arcade tracks), PC mode (extra mirror 
tracks), time trial (basic practice), and 
netw'ork (multiplay for eight). 

In the end, Manx u'as a bittersweet 
game experience. 1 finally experienced a 
graphically rich conversion of a high- 
powered arcade game, but couldn’t find 
enough to keep me happy. ^ 


^APPEAL: Fans of arcade racers 
and hard-core Sega buffs. 

^PROS: 3Dfx version offers true 
arcade-quality 
graphics; acces- 
sible, fun game- 
play. 

►CONS: Too few 
tracks; very little 
replayability. 



word, yes. 'ITere are a few missing 
ingredients— co-op multiplayer and 
specific DeathMatch levels, to name 
two — but the improved single-player 
gameplay and stellar lighting effects 
(when mnning accelerated), not to 
mention a plausible back story, do lake 
Qll beyond the Qli.'\KE experience. If 
you’re a QuAKii; zealot, tlien QUAKh; II is 
an absolute must-have. If ) 0 u’re won- 
dering what all the fuss is about, pick up 
a copy and find out. S 


^APPEAL: Action gamers looking 
to dive head-long Into visceral may- 
hem and, oh yeah, beautiful scenery. 
^PROS: Improved single-player 
gameplay; addictive multiplayer 
action; Immersive, beautiful graphics; 
colored lighting effects in hardware 
acceleration. 

►CONS: Al Is still 
pretty dim-witted; 
some obstacles 
become tedious; no 
specific Death- 
Match levels; no 
co-op multiplayer 
mode (yet). 



ccw 


MARCH 1998 







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oilier undead clenizen.s. Ilaclionc isaclianeelo sliee and 'dleclilieuGin.su 
linile Aone liad. An opporluniU’ lo huiHlei- llie 13 dealli implemenUs at 





GO TO fl276 @ vmv.computergaming.com/infolink . 


ACTION 


REVIEW • TEST DRIVE 4 




Price: $49.95 
System 
Requirements: 
Pentium 90, Windows 
95, 16MB RAM, 
220MB hard-drive 
space, 2x CD-ROM 
drive: supports ail 
major sound cards. 
3D Support: SDix. 
Muitiplayer Support: 

Serial, modem (2 play- 
ers, 1 CD per player): 
LAN (2-8 players, 1 
CD per player). 

Designer: Pitbull 
Syndicate 
Publisher: 
Accolade, Inc. 
San Jose, CA 
800-245-7744 
www.accolade.com 


Flat Tire 


Test Drive 4 Will Test Your Patience and Drive You Nuts 


by Gordon Goble 




D on't believe e\’erytliing 
you read. On the box of 
Accolade’s Tes'I’ Diiivi': 4, 
it says in big, l3old print, 
'“'lest Drive 4 is the clear 
choice for BEST lUC- 
ING GAME OF 1997." 
'Iliis leas es me with but a 
single question: Idas the 
author of this drivel 
played any other racing games lately? 

Tl>f is the latest in the long-running 
Tes'I' Drivi: line, and it continues in the 
same direction as its immediate prede- 
cessor, Te.S’I DlUNTi: 0FFR0,\D. 
Unfortunately, that direction is downhill. 
Accolade has dumped the four-wheeling 
taicks and gone back to the original 
ThS'I' DrI\' 1 '. format of exotic cars, high 
speeds, and ]3avement. It doesn’t help. 

Gonsider ’I D4 a substandard sibling 
to EAs Nf.W') l•OR Speed II, from 'FDds 
copycat introduction right on thraugh. 

FIRST, THE GOOD NEWS 

‘^Dic game docs offer 6 twisting high- 
way and backroad courses from around 
(he globe, as well as 10 \'ehiclcs, includ- 
ing“cxotic.s" like the Dodge Mper, and 
“muscle cars” such as a ’69 Ciicvy 
Gamaro. So far so good. 

In stark contrast to the lamenc,ss that 
surrounds the rest of the game, Ihe driv- 
ing physics model is surprisingly con- 
vincing. From general acceleration to 
handling and braking to the differences 
between each vciiiclc, the sensations are 
quite believable. Tire problem? All of 
the abos'c a])]3lies only whcti 
your speed is at a 
minimum. 


f BUMP AND RUN Although the tracks look 
gameplay at high speeds is too frustrating. 

THE BAD AND THE UGLY 

Once you rcaZ/Estart moving, ' I T)4 
becomes far more arcadelike than any 
"test drive” should be. If you ever [>laycci 
Polp: Po.si noN, )ou’\'e got the piclure. 

Subtlct)'? I'brget it. Grank )’our joy- 
stick hard to the left, crank it hard to the 
right, and repeat. You’ll bounce around 
some and, if you’re lucky, may go a full 
half-minute without blasting into one of 
)’our unintelligent peers, oncoming traf- 
fic, or the annoying invisible barrier pro- 
tecting the noninlcractivc scenery. Al 
least Accolade had the good sense to 
build in some intere.sting acrobatics, 
Grai^hics, meanwhile, are a mixed 
bag. w'ith more bad than good. On the 
upside, the racing environments are real- 
istically rendered, with varied, remark- 
able settings, 'ihcrc arc nice touches 
like authentic da,sh- 


► STINGRAY Test Drive 4 does offer some very cool cars, including Con/ettes. 


boards, .semitranspar- 
ent smoke, and air- 
planes that fly over- 
head. On the down- 
side, the .scenery is 
cursed with Ions of 
]X)p-throngh— you’ll 
see some of the out- 
side world fiom inside 
a tunnel, and some- 
limes you’ll even drive 
through cars. 

The frame rale siif- 
nice, the erratic fe mightily it you 
don't havca3Dfx 
card, unless you play 
in low-res mode or a half-size window. 

Off the track, TD4 is a cumbersome 
mess Willi no mouse su])port whatsoev- 
er. It also forces )’ou to rcsclect options 
every time \ on load llic game. To make 
matters worse, )oii’ll tia\'e to choose a 
steering wheel just so the game recog- 
nizes the buttons on your joystick. 

After all this, is il any surprise that a 
season cannot be saved? Or that the race 
distance and eniranfs are fixed? Or that 
there are no car ciisloinization options? 
Or that, even with more than 200MB of 
installed files, CD accc.ss is everywhere, 
and you have lo endure several screens 
of legal documentation every time you 
begin the game? 1 thought not. At lea.st 
TD4 comes with an uninstall feature. S 

^APPEAL: Fans of bang-bang 
arcade racing with a dynamic 
driving model. 

^PROS: Circuits are challenging, 
thoughtful, and realistic; cars exhibit 
individual characteristics. 

^COHS: Slew of interface, control, 
and execution problems; graphics 
are bad on non- 
3Dfx machines; 

Al drivers that 
are way too fast 
and stupid; driv- 
ing physics are 
nonexistent at 
high speeds. 



CGW MARCH 1996 




eiDOs 

INTERACTIVE 

You’ve been warned. 
www.eidosinteractive.com 



Ancient wisdom says it rocks. 


Did you doubt that Lara would be back? 


Real time. Real Strategy. 


An epic adventure of good and evil. 




ACTION 


I -k-k-k-k REVIEW • 3D ULTRA PIHBALL: LOST COMTIMENT 




Pinball Lizard 


by Shane Mooney 

T here filially seems to be a trend 
among developers to put more 
story into their action games. 
Sierra evidently decided that even 
a pinball game could use a good 
plot, and believe it or not, it uorb. 

3D Uenu Pinb,''lLL: Lost Con- 

'ilNl'Xrs opening animation shows a 
small plane crash-landing on a Lost 


Price: S44-95 
System Requirements: 
486/DX66. Windows 95. 

SMB RAM. 
3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Hotseat (2-4 players). 
Publisher: Sierra On-Line 
(800) 757-7707 
www.sierr3.com 


World brimming with thunder lizards. Its 
up to you to guide the planes three pas- 
sengers through the perils of the Lost 
Continent. . .by playing pinball. 

Tlie 16 table.s found throughout the 
island are multimedia extravaganzas 
bursting with glorious sound effects, 
impressive graphics, and surprisingly 
entertaining gameplay. On one table, 
you’ll use a pinball to lake down a 
carnivorous dinosaur, then navigate 
that same ball into a strategically 
placed cave to advance further 
through the steaming jungle. As 
you i^rogress, more of the story (as 



Lven on a 
Pentium 
11/266, the ball would 
Sometimes freeze momentarily. And, at 
times, the goal of each table was just loo 
obscure. I^lus, theres no printed manual, 
only measly online documentation. 

But all these minor annownces are 
easily countered by the realistic pinball 
physics, immersive environments, and 
plot-driven play. ^ 

^APPEAL; Pinball fans looking for 
a solid shot in the arm for their 
favorite gaming genre. 


well as additional supporting char- 
acters) is revealed. While most pin- 

^PROS: Realistic pinball “feel,” 
superb multimedia elements. 

ball games motivate you solely to 
beat the current high score, this 
one actually adds an adventure ele- 
ment to the mix. 

>CONS: A bit 
too easy, some 
table goals are 
obscure, pinball 
purists will decry 

1 

i 

w'ithout flaws. Tliis game is going to 
tap your hardware pretty heavily. 

tradition. 

m 

s 



Powerfup your PC & 
reOTly>:(^p epic air 





: / ; Jf 















MEN IN BLACK; THE CAME • REVIEWS A 


Extrateirestrial 
Ennui 


SouthPeak Can’t 
Cover Up Men IN 
Black’s Basic Flaws 

by Steve Poole 

E liinciiig over tJie games 
based on movies released 
in the past lew years, you 
iniglit wonder why any 
game publisher even [)ur- 
sues the concept aiu'inorc. 
SiARTREK; GENER\nO\S, 
Ti II' Lwwmow'I' R M/\n, 
Blown Away, Johnny 
Mnemonic, Congo — 

all these and others serv'ed only to prove 
there’s a lot more to making a great game 
than acquiring a hot mo\ie license. In 
fact, Beth&sda's SkYNiTTand LucasArts' 
X-WiNG and DARK FORCES games \s'cre 
about the only movie-inspired offerings 
that delivered high-quality play. 

ANOTHER MOVIE, 

ANOTHER GAME 

Still, the ap[>cai of Ics'eraging box- 
office success to boost PC game sales is 
strong, especially when the movie is last 
summer’s smash hit Men in Bluck. On 
the face of it, MIB seems like a prett)' 
good choice if pu’re going to make a 
movie-based game — its bizjirre aliens, 
high-tech weapons, and tongue-in-cheek 
plot are a nice springboard for an action- 
advenhire game. Unfortunately, MIB; 

Ti tE C/\Mii suffers horn a double wham- 
my: Serious gamers will be dissatisfied 
with the lack of depth, and casual 
gamers lured by the movie tie-in will be 
left cold by the game’s average graphics 
and lethargic voice-acting. 

The engine takes its cue from games 
like Ai-onk in ii IE Dark and Bioforce. 
From a third-person perspecth e, you 
control Agents j, K, or L (the Jones, 
Smith, and I'lorentino characters from 



► PUZZLE ME THIS One Of the game’s few bright points is this challenging 
puzzle In the Amazon. 


the flick) as they investigate mysteries in 
the/Vctic, the Amazon, and the ficti- 
tious Frales Island. Complementing your 
standard MIB pistol are e.\oticall)' named 
weapons, such as the “Scries 4 De- 
Atomizer” and thc“Pulsar/\mi Cannon.” 
In some case.s, though, you’ll have to 
square off barehanded against evil aliens 
and humans. 

MIB does add a few traditional 
adventure-game elements to its mn-and- 
gun game[>lay. Most puzzles are straight- 
forward — use an inventory' item on an 
object in the game w'orld — but a cou])le 
of missions rcc|uirc you to solve some 
slightly tricky logic puzzles, loo. 

MUCH LESS THAN 
THE SUM OF ITS PARTS 

MIB has the core components of a 
good game, but for various reasons they 
simply don’t add u|) lo very much fun. 
Remember tho.se fancy weapons? Well, 
you can carry only one on each mission. 
Not that it maflers much, .since each 
weapon looks dral) and packs a nearl)' 
identical punch. Mand-to-hand combat 
can be needie.ssly difficult because of 
l^crspcctive problems, but then again, 
once you master the kej's, outfigliting 
your enemies becomes a breeze. 

MIB has numerous other shortcom- 
ings— nonconfigurablc keyboard 


commands, no gamepad support, 
strained attempts to du])licate the film’s 
humor, weary' voice-acting, too few alien 
types, and a kludgy' interface for explo- 
ration. Look past those problems and 
you'll find perhaps the biggest drawback 
{)f all: Its w'ay too short. Set aside one or 
two sticking points, and you’re looking at 
somewhere between one and three hours 
per mission for intemiediate players. 

Duplicating the excitement and fun 
of a mo\'ie such as Men in Bbckin a 
computer game is a tough row to hoe, 
but that doesn’t change the fact that 
MIB: 'The Came is, at best, merely aver- 
age. Civen w'hat gamers have to choose 
from, that's just not good enough. % 

^APPEAL: Gamers who are looking 
for a watered-down version of the 
movie with average action and 
puzzle-solving. 

^PROS: A decent mix of action 
and puzzle-solving. 

^CON& Too few and undifferenti- 
ated weapons; 

uninspired voice- 
acting; drab 
aliens; cumber- 
some interface; 

too little and too u 

shallow game- I 

play. 





= 








Price: S39.99 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 100, Windows 
95, 16MB RAM (32MB 
recommended), 10MB 
hard-drive space, 4x CO- 
ROM, 2MB video card, 
SoundBlaster 16-compat- 
ible sound card. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support; 
None. 

Designer: Gigawatt 
Studios 

Publisher: SouthPeak 
Interactive 
Cary, NC 
(919) 677-4499 

www.50uthpeak.com 


ACTION 




ACTION 


REVIEW • EXCALIBUR 2555 A.D. 


A 




Price: S39.95 
System 
Requirements: 

Pentium 100. 16MB 
RAM, 20MB hard-drive 
space, 2x CD-ROM 
drive, SVGA video 
card; supports Sound 
Blaster-compatible 
sound cards- 
3D Support: 3Dfx. 

Direct3D. 
Multiplayer Support: 

None. 

Designer; Teistar 
Electronic Studios 
Publisher: Sirtech 
Ogdensburg, NY 
(800) 447-1230 
www.sir-tech.com 


Excali-bore 

Sirtech's New 3D Action-Adventure Game Is Anything But Magical 

by Mark Clarkson 




I n 2555, the mega- 
lomaniac Dcla\'ar 
decides the one 
thing he needs to 
cement his plans 
for world conquest 
is the fabled sword 
Excalibiir. Dela\~ar 
invents a time 
machine and 
sends a few of his plug- 
uglies back to Camelol to 
snatch the blade. 

In response, Merlin the 
Magician invents a time 
spelt of his own to jump 
into the future and 
retrieve the stolen blade. Now, he lust 
needs to get a champion to single- 
handedly fight legions of evil future bad- 
dies, evade myriad traps, and wTcst 
Excalibur from Delavar’s Nnllainous 
grasp. Merlin chooses his young niece, 
Beth, for this heroic task. 


NICE SWORD Merlin's niece Beth, sans pants, arrives in the year 
2555 to retrieve Excalibur. You must guide her from sometimes 
awkward points of view. 

card. (A promised patch should be avail- 
able by the time you read this.) 

Hie documented DirectBD mode 
was missing entirely'. 'Flic 8-bit software 
emulation mode did work, but the results 
were so ugly that they made me long for 
the days of Infocoms wonderful text 
games. ’ flic backgrounds are 
warped and [jixelalcd, the peo- 
ple look hideous, and the spe- 
cial lighting effects are agoniz- 
iiigly'slow, esen on a P2-266. 

If the power-ups hadn’t 
flashed, 1 would never have 
found them against the splotchy 
backgrounds. Secret doors, cru- 
cial to soK’ing the game, were 
sometimes totally indistinguish- 
able from the rest of the wall. 

In tnie cliche adventure 
fonn, you’re always miming 
around on errands to get this 
item to trade for this other item, 
which in turn needs to be traded for yet 
another item. In one le\-el, you need a 
key mold. You get it by trading a bottle of 
whiskey for it, but to get the whiskey, you 
need to trade a locket, hbr the locket, 
you need to kill a robber, which you can 
do only after trading medicine for a key 
to unlock the room where the robber 
waits, 'fb get the medicine, you need to 
offer a certain paper in trade, which you 


get after shattering a block 
with a spell, 'ITrat spell you 
can get only by grabbing the 
s[}ell components from a 
room. To get to that room, 
you need to throw several 
sw'ilches guarded by a 
gauntlet of sparking electri- 
cal cables. Why couldn’t 1 
just iuy the key mold? 

Still, its not all bartering 
and switch throwing. There's 
a little fighting as well. 
Unfortunately— and sur- 
prisingly— the fighting is the 
most tedious part of all. 

E2555’s controls are 

extremely awkward, and there is no save 
game. Instead, tiie game automatically 
remembers the highest level you’ve com- 
pleted. But if you die at the end of a 
le\'el, you have no choice but to play it 
over. My advice? Save yourself the trou- 
ble and find a good game to play. % 


ERRAND GIRL Everyone in the world of Excalibur 
2555 A.D, wants something from you. 


^APPEAL: Gamers who are glut- 
tons for punishment. 

^PROS: Full CD speech. 

►CONS: Ugly 
graphics; unin- 
teresting loca- 
tions; poor user 
internee; boring 
and repetitive 
gameplay. 


WELCOME TO THE FUTURE 

Tlie Earth of Sirtech’s new aefion- 
advcntiirc, Excalibur 2555 A.D, 
(E2555), is a posfapocalyptic hellhole. 
Everyone lives underground in cramped 
complexes, the upper levels of which are 
populated by filthy peasants, .skeletons, 
thugs, and wizards.,.just like medies'al 
England. 

You fight )our way through the levels 
using one of two awkss'ard, third-person 
viewpoints, 'fhe game boasts 600 loca- 
tions, but many are empty hallways. 
'’Ibere's little .sense of continuity since 
you cannol see from one room into the 
next; open doorwaj's reveal only black- 
ness. Worse still, every time you leave a 
room, tberes a pause while the next 
room loads from the CD. 

A VOODOO HEX 

E2555 promised great graphics and 
amazing lighting effects, but I didn’t sec 
them. 3Dfx mode didn’t work on m\’ 
Intergra[}h Intense 3D Voodoo Rush 




CGW 


MARCH 1998 



TRFiWSCRIPT MESSfiaE RECEIUED 8SMT 16:42 ’4T fl0ROCOLONY RED SECTOR PRIME 4- 


Miller-^ Did 

you hear that? 

ORTESfl Yeah. .. . 

there’s sorfiethina back there » = 

Mi 1 ler Or tega» „ , 

ORTEGA ! 



U I [ II s 


'•■4wr 1 1 wjwwmf* il linn ■r ’ I — rTiTFITTriTTir I . I ««Hgr 

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Forget the box. 
Forget limits. 
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Massive. Random. Forever changing. 

Populated by thousands. 
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B 









NEED FOR SPEED II SE • REVIEW 


Just Cruising 


by Gordon Goble 

A nyone who fancies himself a PC 
racer knows the NliED FOR SPEED 
fonnula. Take some truly exotic 
production and prototy'pe auto- 
mobiles. place them on several 
imaginative fantasy tracks, and race to 
the finish, Tire graphics are strong, the 
courses are varied and savagely challeng- 
ing, and the car model is a lovely mixture 
of arcade fun and simulation precision. 

But thats only part of the story. NEED 
For Spi'.ED is packed with extra good- 



► ROAD HOG The game cam captures a Bomber 
BPS muscling its way past a Mustang Mach III. 


ies — immersive and flavorfui stuff that 
EA didn't have to include, but did. 'llierc 
are visual effects (rear-view' mirrors, 
authentic dashboards, multiple viewing 
options, end-ovcr-end collisions), audio 
enhancements (tire sc|ueal, suspension 
crunch), and a wealth of options (.single 
race, tournament or knockout round; 
single- and multiplayer). 

Need For Speed 11 SE keeps up the 
good work, and the bad. Tlie A1 drivers 
don’t race; they shadow. Crash a cou[)le 
times, and the drivers will slow 
down to keep pace with you. Set 
a record pace, and the rest of the 
pack will suddenly surge to right 
behind your tail. Drivers would 
sooner smack into you than 
a\oid )ou, and scenery is often 
guarded by an invisible “force 
field” that sometimes juts absurd- 
ly into the roadway, 

\Vliat SE does add, though, 
are four new cars (including .some 
’50s muscle-cars), one new track 
(albeit a good one, along the 



Net Loss 


NETWAR • REVIEW 


by Robert Coffey 

S ome people have never met a 
bandwagon they couldn’t jump 
on. For example, someone appar- 
ently told Headland that people 
like games that pit them against 
other humans. Tlie odious result is 
Neti'WAR God forbid that these guys 
ever hear about M\'ST. 

NetWAR serves up a heavy dose of 
hackneyed arcade action, in 
which gamers maneuver one of 
four virtually identical characters 
across various killing fields. 

I’owcr-nps, including 10 different 
vehicles, help you take out other 
players. 'Hiere are three different 
modes of play; team play; multi- 
round deathmatches; and 
crowded, anarchic free-for-alls. 

Its all pretty tepid stuff 
Lame gameplay is bad 
enough, but NprrWAR has other 
problems. Characters may sud- 
denly lose the ability to shoot 


when mnning diagonally, and the game 
is crash-prone as well, Trying to join free- 
for-alls may dump )'0U all b)' yourself 
onto a map where no one joins you. 
Worse, there are some significant server 
problems— bad news for an Internet- 
only game. At times, I could only con- 
nect to one overworked server. Wlien all 
its servers are mnning, Nt-Tl WARhas no 




latency prob- 
lems, but once 
it’s crowded, 
forget about it. 

Tlie game also suffers 
from'shadow frags," w'here it reports 
that you died even when you were 
nowhere near the action— considering 
that player scores are posted, it can get 
undeservedly embarrassing. 

If you want military', arcade action, 
get some quarters and find an arcade 
with MI'Tfal Slug. Skip NetWAR % 


Mexican 
coast), and 
3Dfx .sup- 
port that 
beautifies an already prett)' game. 

If you own NFS 11, don’t bother drop- 
ping valuable coinage on the mild 
upgrades of SE when number III is 
invariably around tlie comer. If, on the 
other hand, you’ve never experienced 
Need i'or Speed, get enlightened. % 


^APPEAL: Any PC racer who 
didn’t buy Need For Speed II. 
^PROS: Arguably the best action 
racing game; new track, new cars, 
and 3Dfx support make the game 
better. 



Price: S49,95 
System 
Requirements: Pentium 
90, 16MB RAM, 
Windows 95 
3D Support: 3Dfx. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Null modem, modem (2 
players), IPX LAN (2-8 
players); 1 CD per player 
Publisher: Electronic Ad 
(800) 245-4525 
www.ea.com 




LIGHTS ON, NOBODY HOME NetWAR has lots Of 
pl^ts blowing each other up, but it also has 
numerous glitches and lame gameplay. 


PAPPEAL: Give me a minute. I'm 
thinking, I’m thinking. 

^PROS: There is a $100,000 sweep- 
stakes for play- 
ers. 

kcoNS: Control 
problems; server 
problems; crash 
problems; lack- 
of-fun problems. 



Price: S39,95 
System 

Requirements: 

Pentium 90, Windows | 
95. 16MB RAM. 

3D Support; None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Internet (2-30 players): 
1 CO per player. 
Publisher: Headland 
Digital Media, Inc. 
www.netwar.com 


ACTION ACTION 





We took a perfectly 
good strategy game and 
threw in a few curves. 


G o ahead and stare. You've never seen 
anything like Guardians: Agents of 
Jusf/ce’." Never before has a game so 
expertly mixed resource management and 
intense superheroic battle. Never before 
has the army in a strategy game been a 
handful of mutant, superbuff enforcers out to 
save tomorrow's planet from its own scum. And never 
before have there been such shapely superheroes, 
as easy on the eyes as they are rough on the rib cage. 
Guardians: Agents of Justice is the superhero strategy 
game where you call the shots. You can even 
customize your own mighty saviors, in case ours 
fail to meet your needs. (Somehow, we doubt it.) 


AGENTS OF JUSTICE 

A SUPERHEROIC STRATEGY GAME • 



'.computergaming. com/infolink 


'M 


4 .- ^ 

Li J 






Rekindle your youth. 




Real Combat. Plastic Men. 
www.armymen.com 


Army Men is a trademark of The 3D0 Company. © 1 997 The 3D0 Company. All rights reserved. 
GO TO #112 @ www.computergaming.com/Infolink 



MASS DESTRUCTiOH • REVIEW A A 


Mass Irritation 


by Tahsin Shamma 

game with tlie name Mvs.s 
Dt:siRUCiiON is bound to elicit a 
testosterone-pumped fe\cr for 
de\’astation- W'cll, settle clown, 
because this game won’t iiwoke 
anjihing but extreme boredom. Mass 
Dk^RUCHON is the kind of game thals 


great for console gaming, but mediocre 
in the more complex world ofPCgames. 

'Hic basic premise behind the game? 
Blow .stuff up. Story and realism has 
been tossed out the window in fax or of 
the mo.st .simplistic, single-minded 
gamepiay. Basically, you drive a tank in 
third-person persiieclive 
through a series of missions to 
destm\’ target objectives, 
'llicrc are missions that 
require }ou to rescue a 
hostage or a\oid destroying 
specific buildings, but for the 
most ]rart, e\'er)'thing begs for 
annihilation, 

Ihe first time 1 played the 
game, it was cool, lire explo- 
sions are big and im])ressive, 
despite the mediocre graphics. 
But every lime 1 played it 
thereafter it left me fiat. For a 
game like this, the third- 



► KILL THY NEIGHBOR The suburbs Will never be 
the same once your tank rolls into town. 




person 
j)erspecfivc 
is a hindrance. You’re 
not commanding a tank into a heaxy 
barrage of mortar fire; x ou’re drix ing a 
remote-controlled toy through a firc- 
crackcr-ladcn (obstacle course. /\11 in all, 
M\SS DrS’I'RL'C'IION docs simplistic 2D 
.shooting well. Unfortunalciy, simplistic 
2D shooting doesn’t amount to much 
fun gamepiay. % 





^APPEAL: Anyone fond of blowing 
up everything in sight. 

^PROS: Cool variety of weapons; 


some tacticai 


tank strategy. 


kcOHS; Weak 


graphics; iimited 


gamepiay; too 


simpiistic. 



Price: 834.99 H 

System 

Requirements; 

Pentium 90, 

Windows 95 or DOS 6.22, 
16MB RAM. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: IPX 
LAN (2-4 players): 1 CO 
per player. 

Publisher: ASC Games 
(206) 655-0032 
www.ascgames.com 



WiLLLCZ/V by 3Dfx. 

WPW-I-V RPgF n RPFF IJ SEKD S5EED 

60 frames per second. Ducking and 
weaving becomes an Olympic event. 
You’ll have to develop a new set of 
reflexes just to keep up. 


Best Hardware. Best Software. 


fiFA Road To WoiW Cup ’99 imajes ar« courtesy ol Electronic Arts. FIFA Road To World Cup '99 Images are irademarks ol Electronic Arts.© 1997 Eledtonic Arts. FIFA OHidal license product o1 We FIFA World Cop France 98. ©The France 98 Emblem 
and OHicai Mascoi aiecopynghl and Uademaik of ISL FIFA Road To World Cup '99 is a iraflemark or registered trademart; ol EfcclronicArts or ils wholly owned subsidiaries Wlhe U S. anii'or olher countries. ©1997 Electronic Arts. All flights Reserved. 
CopynghiS 1997 3[}li inleradive. Inc. The 3Dlx Interactive logo. Voodoo Graphics and Voodco^aie trademarks of 3Dtx Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

60 TO #120 @ www.computefg3ming.com/infolink 


ACTION 



ADVENTURE/RPG 


Jf-k-k-kik REVIEW • THE CURSE OF MOHKEY ISLAND 



Monkey Shines 




System Requirements: 

Pentium 90, Windows 95. 
16MB RAM, PCi graphics 
card, 4x CD-ROM drive. 
Win 95-compatibie 16-bit 
sound card, 
3D Support: None, 
Multiplayer Support: 

None. 

Designers: Jonathan 
Ackley, Larry Ahern 
Publisher: LucasArts 
Entertainment Company 
San Rafael. CA 
(415) 985-8227 
www.lucasarts.com 


With a Treasure Chest of Big Laughs, 

The Curse of Monkey Island Is a Comic Classic 


by Jeff Green 

liilc most gamers 
as.sociatc 
LucasArLs with 
their Star IKan? 
games, for some, 
the company will 
al\\'ay,s be revered 
as tlic piirv'eprs 
of. some of the 
greatest comic 

adventure games of all time. With S/WI 
& M;\x l-lri-n w. Road, Day or 'it it; 

'lY: tsriACU::, and the two MoNKi'ri' 

ISIAND games, Luca,sArt.s virtually creat- 
ed its own genre — a winning combina- 
tion of Warner Brothers cartoon-style 
animation and humor with traditional 
adventure gaming. 

Now, after a hiatus of three years, 
L.ucasArls returns to adventure gaming 
in a big way with Ti It; CuitSi'; or 
MonkI’A' Isi and, a game that proves to 
be not just a worthy successor to the 
MonkJ'A' Isi and .series, but is— quite 
easily— the most entertaining adven- 
ture game of 1997. 


A PIRATE'S LIFE FOR GUY 

For those unfamiliar witli the .series, 
the MonkeI’ ISIAN’D games tell the 
ongoing tale of hapless, would-be pirate 
Guybaish llirccpwood and his stru^le 
against his nemesis, the evil undead 
j)iratc LcChuck, and the woman caught 
between the two: Guybaish’s tnie lo\'e, 
Flaine Marlcy, 

As Titr Gurse of Monkei- Island 

open.s, in a beautifully animated cut- 
scene, the lame “It w'as all just a dream” 
ending of MONKFA' ISIAND 2 has been 
conveniently forgotten (it’s explained, 
kind of, later in the game), and we find 
Guybrnsh adrift at .sea, hungry and 
thirsty and — typical for Guybnish — 
oblivious to the food and drink drifting 
by under his nose. Before he knows it, 
he’s in the middle of a cannon battle 
between Flaine and LeGhuck, and in no 
time at all, he finds hiiuself a prisoner 
aboard LcGhucks ship. 

As Guybrush, you must first find a 
way to escape from LeChuck’s ship. 
Once you do e.scape and drift ashore. 


you un\s'ittingly place a cursed ring on 
Elaine’s finger, turning her to solid gold, 
'lb add insult to injury, the solid-gold 
Elaine is then stolen by pirates. Your pri- 
mary objcctis’cs in the game are, of 
course, to search for a way to remo\'c the 
curse and tiien find Elaine. 

BARREL 0' PUZZLES 

MONKi'1\’ Island is a very structured, 
six-act story, but within that framework 
tliere’s a great deal of nonlinear action, 
Mos1 of it takes place on two large 
islands, on whicli you can freely travel 
between locations and solve puzzles in a 
somewhat (though not aKvays) random 
order. Tlicre arc also a few places where 
the game makes you confront a .specific 
IDredicsiment— such as being swallowed 
by a snake, trapped in quicksand, or try- 
ing to get your shipmates to stop 
singing — and won’t let you jirocceci 
until you’ve figured it out, 

Aiyonc who has ever played a 
LucasArts adventure will be right at 
home in CuilSE — no big changes have 
been made to the same 
SCUMM engine that has 
dri\ en all their adventure 
games u]3 through I'Y il ,1, 
TtmOTiLE andT’HEDlCa 
few years back. Now, howc\'- 
er, the interface is as seam- 
less as could be and is all but 
invisible onscreen, leaving as 
much real estate as possible 
for the games stylish, meticu- 
lously drawn graphics — the 
best theywe ever done. 

Hie gameplay; too, is 
nothing we haven’t seen 
before; for the most part, it’s 
standard point-and-click, 
inventory-based puzzIc-soK- 
ing. 'file game can be played 
on two settings, regular or 
“mega monkey,” w'hich is 
harder, but e,ssentialiy just 




ccw 


MARCH 199B 



THE CURSE OF MOHKEY ISLAHD • REVIEW 



adds more pu/ales (or more steps to the 
same puzzles). Regardless of the setting, 
the [nizzles are abundant and, for the 
imst part, fairly simple— though they’re 
tough enough to keep you from breezing 
through without a ehallcnge. 

'Hie greate,st thing about the game- 
play is that, as in all LucasArts ad\'en- 
tures, the designers consciously acknowl- 
edge that they're operating in a cartoon 
world. In fact, they revel in the absurdi- 
ties of such a world. Tims, rather than fry' 
to offer some kind of half-baked “realis- 
tic” explanation as to how Cuybrush 
could [Dossibly carry around such things 
as a liead-sized block of tofu, the game 
sim[)l\' has him shove it casually down 
his pants. 

Wdiat’s particularly cool is that despite 
the fairl)’ silly nature of w-hat )ou jjick up 
or how much \ou can carry, the puzzles 
themselves follow an internal logic — 
and that keeps the game on solid ground. 
In the game’s most memorably grolesc|ue 
puzzle, for example, you have to figure 
out how to get a tattooed map off the 
back of a sunbalher. It’d never happen in 
the real world — 1 ho[>c — but the way 
you do it here makes perfect game sense. 

Luca.sArts also does the right thing in 


terms of never letting you really 
screw yourself over. You can’t die 
(except in one of the game’s most 
memorable puyzle.s, in which 
dying is the object) and you'll 
never enter a new section of the 
game without the minimum of 
w hat )ou need to complete it. 

'Ilie only part I could have 
done without is the ridiculous, 
arcade-style ship combat in the 
middle of the game. Mercifully, 

)’OU can lo^lc it to a \'cr)' simple 
setting. 'Ilie second part of the 
combat — dueling insults with the 
enemy .ship captains — is hilari- 
ous, but goes on a tad too long. 

WATCHOO TALKIN' BOUT? 

'llie highlight of this game, of 
cour.se, is the dialogue. Lucas/\rts 
writes funnier scripts than anyone 
else, including mo.st of Holly- 
wood these days, and CURSt: 01' 
MonKI'T isiANi') features humor 
writing of the highc,st order. 
Whereas dialogue can often be a 
chore in adventure games — 
.something lo .slog through to get 
the necessary clues — it’s a complete joy 
here. As you choose your responses to 
the people you run into, you’ll find your- 
•sclf actively following dialogue trees that 
deliberately, blatantly have nothing to do 
with .solving the game, jiust so you can 
get to the next joke. 'Ihe designers waste 
no opportunity to be shamelessly silly in 
every conversation, yet they never iDcnal- 
izc you for following useless paths— the 
correct choice will always be there when 
you’re ready lo proceed. 

Hie game features the best comic 
voice-acting since, well, I’UM. 

Tl IR(rrn,i‘;, with one memorable charac- 
ter after another taking the stage, includ- 
ing a shifty lemonade vendor (played 
wonderfully by Gary Coleman), a 
snooty, plcasc-hit-me cabana boy for an 
exclusive beach club, and, best of all, a 
disembodied skull named Mumiy, who 
if he had a shoulder, would ha\'e a ver)' 
large chip on it. Murray, like Kramer on 
Seinfeld, manages to steal ever)' scene 
hes in. If he had legs, he’d wralkaw'ay 
with the game. 

THAT'S IT? 

Given all the time and cnerg)' .spent to 
create comic payoffs for even minor 


puzzles and conversations throughout 
Monkey Island, it seems odd, then, 
that the ending— the game’s only real 
disappointment— should be so abrupt 
and perfunctory, as if the designers sud- 
denly ran out of time, mone)', or inspira- 
tion. It’s still funny — especially if you sit 
through the credits — yet after a terrific 
buildup, there’s really no payoff. 

Still, tire game is so great until then 
that theres no sense in denying it a per- 
fect rating. Just as Fallooi’ did recently 
for the reeling RPC genre, Mo.nke^’ 
ISIAND pro\'ides a case study in how' to 
do things right, without rein\'enling tlie 
w'heel. For those who have been turned 
off to the adventure game genre by the 
overabundance of portentous Mi^ 
clones or feeble FMV mysteries, The 
Curse of Monki-t Island is the per- 
fect Ionic. Easily one of the best adven- 
ture games of the year, it joins LucasArts 
hallowed pantheon of comic classics. 
Even those who’ve never played an 
adventure game might want to check it 
out. Computer gaming rarely gets more 
entertaining than this. 



^APPEAL: All adventure gamers, 
fans of the old LucasArts comic 
adventures, pirate fetishists. 
>PROS: Just about everything: out- 
standing animation, plot, dialogue, 
and puzzles add 
up to the most 
satisfying adven- 
ture of the year. 
ycOHSi Ends too 
quickly; final cut- 
scene is a let- 
down. 



ADVENTURE/RPG 





you don't do 

SOMETHING.. 


K^'.- 

- ' .. . ,. 


(>ii.>Vrnd(nia'^aA 
■luiciSjrer « CO I [ 
S^^da^iir 
orCanadoi.. 














You.gfe.^Qur own worst enemy in the moody World of Dark Earth. .D:el5Hs- fiflsrth'e 
airand your flesh Is being attacked by a deadly virus. Pois.onGd5',crdUc|s-dl-ift ahd'' 
photosynthesis .has ceased. Still, it is your mission to uncover a .sec}^ hislpry 
that'll help restore the one thing that can save all of hunlanity-l.ighU 
You'll uncover dark mui'der plots through real time adventure and . 
treacherous combat as you interact wilh greedy and bizarreLcharaclers. 
envelop the City you protect whether you're ihere.or 
not, and then continue to prey upon you as you ponder 
your next move. But, there is a ray of hope-you 
simply haye.to find it. www.darkearth.com 


GO TO #1B8 @ www.conjout6rg8mrng.com/inlolink 


BLADE RUNNER • REVIEW AAAAV 


Sharp as a Blade 

Blade Runner Is an Entertaining, Original, 
and Faithful Re-creation of the Sci-Fi Film Classic 



by Allen Greenberg 



POINT AND SHOOT 

It’s I AS Angeles in ihe year 2019, and 
during the course of the game you will 
tras’el from the city’s highest pinnacle to 
its lowest dregs. Your goal, at least initial- 
ly, is to track down replicants; those artifi- 
cial luiinans now' outlawed except for 
use in outer space. Uilely, they' iiave 
been show'ing u]3 on Earth with a seri- 
ously had attitude toward its few remain- 
ing animals, as e\'idenccd by more than 
one ma.ssacre. What’s behind the slaugh- 
ter? Could it be the replicants are trying 
to hide something? 

BiAlM'; RUNNl'.lt unfolds in five acts, 
and the conclusion of the game depend-s 
upon how' you play, 'Hie [)ossible 


^CITY LIGHTS Blade Runner beautifully re-creates the stylish, moody atmosphere of 
I the classic Ridley Scott film. 


'"Ihis WHS not allied execution. It was 
called retirement." 


T hese words, backed by 

Vangclis’ masterful score, 
mark the opening of one of 
the most powerful science- 
fiction films of the 1980s. 
Westwood Studios has now 
adapted Blade Rimncrto 
adventure gaming, and a 
\'cry faithful adaptation it is 
at that- Indeed, it’s safe to 
say that no otltcr film has been so faith- 
fully re-created on a computer. 

Eanatics of the film should know, 
howes'er, that the game mirrors only the 
tone and .style of tire film — it 
dots irot follow the same ])lot. 

Gone is the soul-.searching 
Rick Deckard, the reluctant 
policc/liuntcr of the film. In his 
place is fledgling Blade Runner 
Ray McCoy, who is far loo 
worried about getting on with 
his job to .sio|r and wonder 
whether he had ever retired a 
human by mistake. As McCoy, your task 
is to uncos'cr and “retire" rc]3licants who 
exist illegally on Earth, blow he finishes 
in the story is ujr to you. 


endgames vary greatly' and range fnrm 
the complete wipeout of ihe Ivirth- 
bound replicants to your total alliance 
with thenr, 

Tire game’s controls arc fairly ,sim|rlc. 
You control McCoy’s movement with 
the mouse. Blue cursors indicate possi- 
ble exits, w'hile green amrws iirdicaic that 
some type of interaction is possible. 
Right-clicking draws your wca[)on and 
brings up a targeting reticle, 'lire early 
portion of the game allows scwcnil 
episodes of target practice, but, unfortu- 
nately, much of this takes iDlacc at ejuite a 
distance away, so Ihe 
participants appear quite 
tiny 'Hiere is a fair 


amount of shooting action in general, 
[jarlicularly toward the end of the game. 

You don't have an inventory to w'ork 
wilh. While y'ou can gather items and 
pnl them lo your advantage later in the 
game, you cannot examine, manipulate, 
or use these item.s in any w'ay. 
Questioning characters is an important 
part of the giimc, and their answers are 
recorded for later reference. You ha\’e no 
control o\ er the questions you ask, but 
different ones appear depending on your 
prior cx))eriences as well as the attitude 
vou assume. MLssing the plot leads early 






Price: S49.99 
System Requirements: 

Pentium 90, 16MB 
RAM, 175MB hard- 
drive space, 4x CD- 
ROM drive, 16-bit 
SVGA card with 2MB 
RAM, Microsoft-com- 
patible mouse. Win 
95-supported sound 
card, 

3D Support: None 
Multiplayer Support: 

None, 

Designer: Westwood 
Studios 

Distributor: Virgin 
Interactive 
Irvine, CA 
(714) 833-8717 

www.westwood.com 

www.vi8.com 


ADVENTURE/RPG 




Get it 

EVERY 

MONTH 



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special 
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at 

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gaming 

world. 

com/save 




REVIEW • BLADE RUNNER 


► PHOTO SHOP Zero in on the game clues using your trusty 
Esper; the same photo-manipulation tool used by Harrison 
Ford in the film. 


in the game can lead to incomplete 
questioning later on, 

CHARACTER ASSASSINATION 

Besides McCoy, tlie game features a 
host of other memorable characters. 
Crystal Steel is a female Blade Runner 
who has a fondness for McCoy and 
often saves his hide from perforation 
and other abuse, McCoy’s superior— 
and frequently the first to call McCoy 
into action — is Guzza, Although he is 
only temporarily filling the post, Guzza 
has earned the respect and admiration 
of his fellow officers, but his gruff exteri- 
or may hide some mysterious secrets. 

'Ilic two major replicants are Clovis 
and Sadik, who are responsible for the 
games initial massacres. McCoy’s death 
frequently crosses their mind, and they 
are more than slight)}' inclined to follow 


their iivstincts. Then 
there arc the twins— 
i Aitherand liince — 
wiio share an unusu- 
ally common point 
of view, finally, 
thcrcs Lucy. By all 
a]3pearaiK'e.s a 14- 
}'ear-old girl with pink hair, she regrets 
the hann .she may have caused. 'Flic 
question of her guilt, howes'cr, seems to 
follow her wherever she tras'cls. Tliere 
arc man}' others to be sure, and each of 
them has an effect on both McCoy and 
the stor}’. 

During the course of the game, you 
can record clues about jjeoplc and 
events in a hand-held computer called 
the Knowledge Integration Assistant, or 


\ 


LARA WHO? Blade Runner features some of the most incredible 3D modeling in 
any game to date, as shown in this cut-scene between McCoy and the fetching 
Crystal Steel, 


▲ 


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ADVCNTURE/RP6 


REVIEW • BLADE RUNHER 




KIA. Tliis device keeps track of conversa- 
tions, key tiiouglits, pliotos, and otlier 
important information. 

Fans of the film will remember the cm- 
cial scene in which Deckard produces a 
photograph by speaking to a computer. You 
have to use your mouse, but t!ic computer 
work is still an important factor in tbe story. 
A gadget called the “Esper” docs the work 
and is used se\'eral times in the course of 
the game. 


>AK>EAL: Fans of the film, 
adventure gamers looking for 
something different. 

^PROS: Compelling story, 
sound, and graphics; faithful to 
the spirit of the film. 

^OMS: Excess violence; in- 
game char- 
acters are 
small and 
low-res, 
especially 
compared to 
the cut- 
scenes. 


IN THE MOOD 

Graphically Bb\DK Runner is nothing 
short of astounding. Tire cut-scenes use a 
form of 3D modeling that is unparalleled in 
computer game history, matching the qual- 
ity of the film nearly perfectly. Likewise, the 
speaking cast handle their roles brilliantly. 
Fans of the film will remember the e\'cr- 
present rain and fire tliat acted as a back- 
drop to the drama — this feel has been 
duplicated for the game, lopping it all off is 
tlie powerful Vangelis score, w'iiicii comple- 
ments the game as strongly as it did the film. 

Tlie real-time element adds an unusual 
degree of strategy to an ad\'enture game. As 
in Broderbunds Tl IE L\S’I' Ext’RESS, charac- 
ters don’t stand around forever in one place, 
so timing is often of critical 
value. Tills is particularly true 
of Lucy, wlio must be encoun- 
tered at a certain point in the 
game in order to emerge suc- 
cessfully. You will frcquentl}' 
walk into iife-or-death situa- 
tions, and the only way to sur- 
vive is through skin-of-your- 
teeth timing. Ilie replicants in 
the game are more sawigc 
than those in the film and 
serve as deadly proof of how' 
important it is to save your 
game often. Tlicy frequently 


^ GET A CLUE You can store all of your visual 
I Assistant, an ea^-to-use device that saves ) 

appear out of nowhere and lake McCoys 
life withont warning. 

It is this element of action and timing— 
not any puzzles — (hat makes i3i.\l^E 
Runner truly challenging, i’or this reason. 


and audio clues in the Knowledge Integration 
DU from taking copious notes. 

and for tlic incredible re-creation of the 
mood and atmosphere of the 1982 film, 
newcomers and experienced adventurers 
alike will find the game a compelling and 
unique experience. % 







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“Interplay’s attention to graphic detail has 
resulted in a stunningly lifelike synthetic revival 
of the classic Star Trek players.” 

-PC Gamer 


^ Uncover The Shocking Secrets Behind 
The Original Vulcah/Romulan Conflict 


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For Gamers. Jhbal Dreams and the Tribal Dreams logo are trademarks o^i Interplay Productions. All rights reserved. Trademark and 
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’ All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of their rdspectivc owners. ' ' 

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ADVENTURE/RPG 


ick-ki REVIEW • BROKEH SWORD: THE SMOKING MIRROR 




ilHWI 



Broken Record 

The Adventure Is Decent, But This Mmr Still Needs Polish 

by Thierry Nguyen 


Price: $49.95 
System 
Requirements: 

Pentium 60 or better, 
Windows 95, 16MB 
RAM, 40MB hard-drive 
space, 2x CD-ROM. 
Win 95-compatible 
sound and video 
cards. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 

None. 
Designer: 
Revolution Software 
Publisher: 
Virgin Interactive 
Irvine, CA 
(800) 874-4607 or 
(619) 549-0222 
www.vie.com 


S onic people really should 
.stay at home. Take George 
Stobbarl, for example. 
Much like the Grisw olds of 
Nalionnl Ijunpnon fame, 
George gets mixed up in 
mayhem whenever he goes 
on vacation, cspcciall)' in 
France. \Vliilc the Gris- 
wolds were wise enough to 
go to France only once, George makes 
the mistake of reluming, resulting in two 
adventure games: ClIlCl.K 01'’ Bi.OOI), 
which centered on the Knights Templar, 
and now Brokk N SwoRD; T'ui' 
Smokinc: Mirror, which involves a 
licked-off Mayan god of Death. 

Ti IK Smoking Mirror takes place 
sometime after the events in CiRCl-K Oi' 
Bi.OOD, Having spent lime hack in (he 
United Stales, George IraveLs again to 
France to sec Nico. As the game begins, 
George is trapped in a huming house, 
lied to a chair, and 
a spider is advanc- 
ing toward his leg; 

Nico, meanwhile, 
has been kid- 
iiap])ed by Central 
American thugs. 

George frees him- 
self and embarks 
on another world- 
wide adx’cnliirc, 
this time involving 
Mayan folklore, a 
major dnig cartel, 
and the imminent apocalypse. I Icavx' 
stuff for our vacationing hero. 

SWORD PLAY 

Tlic gameplay in Smoking Mirror is 
identical to that in ClRCKK OF Bl.ooD 
and is your standard adventure game 
fare: ninning around the world for dues, 
solving puzzles, and talking to people. 
But the interface has been streamlined 
so that right-clicking is for looking and 
Icft-clicking is for using items or talking, 
TTe designers have also enhanced the 
graphics engine. Tbe character anima- 




to compensate for slower machines. 

Finally, you’ll play both George and 
Nico this time around, though the 
emphasis is still on George. Mucli like 
Gabrikl Knig! ri' II: ’Fhe Bras'!' WnniN 
and some of the Li-ilsURi!; Sui t D\rry 
games, you switch between characters at 
specific points. Tlie split isn’t equal, as it 
seems that Nico’s 
portions are shorter 
than George’s. 


A CLOCKWORK GOLD This puzzle 
near the endgame was one of the 
more tedious ones, as it involves lots 
of spinning and pushing. 


BROKEN PLOT 

The main flaws in 
the game lie in tlie 
story and the dia- 
logue, which didn’t 
engross me as much 
as the original did. 
ClRCLK OF B[.00D 
featured a solid plot 
filled wilJi a strong 
sense of irony, as protectors became 
aggressors and vice versa, and you were 
unsure of who was the real cnem)’ for 
much of the game. Here, the enen"^' is 
mundane and dearly defined. Tliis \il- 
lain just u'ants pow cr and destniction, 
while the Nco-Teinplars wanted 
vengeance for injustices they suffered in 
tile past. Tlie stor)' liere ends up being a 
ho-hum “Tliwart the evil god to prevent 
the apocalypse” talc. 

Tlie dialogue in Smoking Mirror is 
too uriev'en to improve matters. Though 
there isn’t as much droning on as in the 


QUIET ON THE SET This unexpected scene interrupts the story, 
but it also shows one of the new engine effects: shadowing, 
previous game, the conversations can 
still be boring, Tlicy are also punctuated 
with comedy that, while welcome at 
times, often feds out of place (especially 
with the character ofTlie General and 
parts of Qiiaramonte). 

Finally, although Smoking Mirror 
features some decent puz/,les, the 
endgame is a letdown, 'Ihere’s one con- 
trived puzzle — a mazelike affair involv- 
ing levers and doors — and thats it.^bu 
walk through the door, and tlie cut-scene 
for the ending plays. No final, villain- 
thwarting puzzle sequence, just a dick, 
and you’re done. 

All in all, BrokI' N SwORD: Tl IF 
Smoking Mirror is above average, but 
it’s not great. \VliiIe tlie engine and tiie 
graphics have been refined, there are 
some minor slips in plot, dialogue, and 
puzzles that bring the whole experience 
down a bit. If )ou’re looking for a decent 
traditional adventure game to take up 
pur time, tliis will do. S 


^APPEAL: Fans of the first game, 
newbie adventurers, veteran adven- 
turers with time and money. 
^PROS: Refined engine and inter- 
face; historically 
accurate story; 



ccw 


MARCH 1998 







by 3Dfx. 

VISUALS VlSU/iLS VISUALS. VISUALS VISUA. 

Benchmark this. A full suite of visual 
effects: tri-linear filtering, per-pixel M|P- 
mapping, transparency, fog, alpha blehding, 
texture animation, Z-buffering and a host of 
other dynamic features - all without impairing 
performance. Death never looked so pretty. 

Visuals. 


Best Hardware. Best Software. 


fiois amJ SiN imaoes are courtesy ol Acuvisioii Inc. Eiexis anO SIN imaoes ; 
aieiiatjema<ttsol30l>iiiieiact<%'e Inc All Rights Reserved. 


: trademarks ot Activision. Inc. & 1997 Activision. Inc. All Rigiiis Reserved Copyright 1997 3 DIk Interactive, tnc The 3Dtv Interactive 
GO TO fflZO (l> www.computergaming.com/infotink 


' logo. VoudoQ Gtapnics and Voodooi 


SIMULATION/SPACE 


REVIEW • LONGBOW 2 




Price; S54.95 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 133 (P200 rec- 
ommended), Windows 95, 
16MB RAM. 200MB hard- 
drive space, 2MB video 
card, sound card, 4x CD- 
ROM. 

3D Support; 3Dfx (03D 
patch in development). 
Multiplayer Support: 
Modem, null modem. 
LAN (2-4 players). 
Internet TCP/IP (2 play- 
ers); 1 CD per player. 
Designers: Andy Hollis 
and Will McBurnett 
Publisher: Jane's Combat 
Simulations 
Austin, TX 
(512) 434-4357 
www.janes.ea.com 


Longbow & 
Resuirection * 

This Helicopter Sim Is Even Better the Second Time Around 



w AH-64D LONGBOW APACHE The most capable helicopter gunship in the US invento- 
I ry, the Apache is available with or without the Longbow radar system. 


by Robin G. Kim 

T he sequel to CCVl''s 1996 
flight .sim of the year retains 
its predecessors focus on 
gritty realism and teeth- 
clenching combat action. It 
also introduces enough 
enhancements and new 
ganie[}lay options to impress 
Ldngbow players and satis- 
fy e\'en jaded sim veterans. 
Longbow 2 offers three helicopter 
models to fly. Tlie star of the show is the 


US Annys premier helicopter gunship, 
the AH-64D Longbow Ajjache, a\'ail- 
able with or without the .sophisticated 
Longbow fire-control radar. Backing u[> 
the Apache are the OH-SSO Kioss'a 
Warrior, for rcconnaissaiicc and light 
attack duties, and the UM-60L 
Blackhawk, which sj^ecializes in troop 
insertions and extractions. Each handles 
differently, and the overall flight-model 
realism is excellent despite the lack of 
some esoteric rotar)--wing aerodj’namic 
effects. As a test of your multita,sking 


skills, you can hop between the pilot’s 
seat and one crew position during flight 
on any of the aircraft. For the Apache 
and the Kiow'a Wirrior, the alternate sta- 
tion is the copilot/gunners and 
copilnt/observers seal, re.spectively; 
Blackhawks have no equivalent, so you 
get to man the door guns instead. 

CONTROL COMPLEX 

Control panels and avionics systems 
have been modeled precisely. 'Ihe Ahl- 
64D is by far the ino.sl complicated, with 
four iVll' Ds (multifunction displays) and 
multiple radar modes, helmet-mounted 
display configurations, and clcctro-opti- 
cal sensor displays. At the other end of 
the spectrum lies the Uhl-bOl ,, with its 
broad array of analog instruments, 'Hie 
OlT-58Ds moderately complex layout 
revolves around its raison d’etre; the ball- 
sha[jcd h'fast-Mounted Sight above its 
main rotor, which allows it to see over 
terrain without being seen. Ironically, the 
MMS is practically useless because its 
image is confined to a tiny MFD. (Tlie 
images from the Ajjaches nosc-mounfed 
sensor can be dLsplayed full-screen, 
making target identification much easi- 
er, )'niis“Mr. Magoo” MMS largely 
undcnnincs the Kiowa Warriors utility 
unle,ss you use the target ID cheat key. 

Both flight-model and ,S) stems com- 
plexity can be toned down, but the learn- 


Campaign Trail 

A dynamic campaign, in which tite consequences of one 
mission carry foiward into succeeding missions, theo* 
redcally guarantees unpredictability increasing long- 
tenn play value. Longbow 2 incorporates just such a system, 
replacing Longbow’s branching scripted-mission sequences. 

Canpaigns play out in roughly day-long turns. Each turn, 
die program creates a new set of missions for you, determines 
wrhether ground forces will attack or defend, and places rein- 


forcements. A number of Actors affect these decisions, 
including casualties from the previous Uim, supply levels, 
troop movements, and the success or failure of your heli- 
copters in dieir assigned missions. Occasionally, elaborate 
scripted missions are slipped in for added flavoc 
Overall, the campaign system succeeds admirably at pro- 
ducing missions that are logically linked to the progress of the 
wac Unfortunately, the tum-based structure has a negative 
effect on the missions. At the outset of every mission, all 
choppers on both sides move out simultaneously. As a result, 
deadly helicopter-vs.-heltcopter clashes over the front lines 








are annoyingly common. This pre- 
dictable start can be exploited by 
rushing to the front and laying an 
ambush or by hiding out until tiie 
enemy helos have gone home, then 
running wild in the enemy’s back- 
field. The missions are more real- 
istic if ynu play them straight, but 
frequent air-to-air combat is 
unavoidable. 


MISSION CONTROL The mission planner in 
Longbow 2 is exceptionaiiy fuli-featuied, offer- 
ing thorough briefings and letting you tailor all 
flight plans, loadouts, and crew assignments. 
However its interface could be more conve- 
nient to use, and debriefs are rather terse. 


LONGBOW 2 • REVIEW 


► UH-eOL BLACKHAWK A high-per- 
! foimance infantry squad transport 
helicopter; the Blackhawk is used 
I for troop insertions and extractions. 


ing curve remains rela- 
tively steep. Tc) lielp 
you climb this curve, 
the sim includes a 
comprehensive spiral- 
bound manual, an 
online encyclopedia, 
and hands-on training 
under the guidance of 
simulated instnietor 
pilots. (ITame rate is 
slow during training, 
but it gets dramatically 
faster in actual [3lay.) 


THE REAL DEAL 

Longbow 2 boasts perhaps the most \'isually and auditorily 
immersive combat environment of any flight sim. Spectacular 
graphical effects such as dynamic lighting, distance hazing, 
transparent smoke, and terrain filtering that eliminates pisela- 
tion (with or without a 3D card) are almost enough to make 
jou forget that trees arc still MIA. Tire \irtiial cockpit view' — 
w'hich )Ou can pan manually or lock onto a target — models 
head motions \sith astounding realism, prosiding a visceral feel- 
ing of flight that is unmatched. 

Frame rate on a P166 is tolerable at the lowe.sl detail settings, 
and tire sim still looks preth' good, Wlicn )OU liook up a 31D 
card .sporting a 3DFX Voodoo or Voodoo Rush chipset, the 
frame rate and image qualit}- increase dramaticalis'. Owners of 
non-\'oodoo 3D accelerators are currentl)' stuck with tlie slow- 
er, less attractive 2D mode. (A Direct5D patch is in the works 
to support other high-end 3D chipsets.) 

Sound effects and speech do just as much as graphics to 
draw- you into the experience. During a typical mission, you 
might hear radio transmissions as other helo flights check in, 
status updates from HQ, or desperate calls for support from 
embattled units. Mission-specific call signs and a \’arict\' of 
\ oices help make it clear who is talking to whom. Tbc chatter is 
not just atmospheric: )'ou must often make snap decisions 
based on the infonnatioti received. Ground troops to the south 
ha\e spotted enem)' armor moving toward their [)osition. Do 
you put aside )our assigned task to 
counter tiiis unexpected offcnsi\’e? 

Would \ou arriv e in time to make 
a difference? 

In pushing the envelope of 
sights and sounds, some compati- 
bility problems exist. Some 


FOUR PAIR BEATS TWO OF A KIND 

In the first LONGBGW, yiiu had just one wingman to worry' 
about. Longbow 2 gives you responsibility for up to four 
flights of two. Fach aircraft is o]3cratcd by one of 16 crews in 
your squad, all ofwiiom gel better with experience — if they 
survive. Play options include instant action, custom single mi.s- 
sions, canned single ini.ssions, and two dynamic campaigns (the 
first three play just like campaign missions, but without the sur- 
rounding context). One campaign hypothesizes a conflict 
between UN and Iranian forces in the rugged terrain of 
/Vz.erlDaijan, w liiie the other simulates US /\rmy exercises at the 
National Training Center at I'brt Irwin. Multiplayer fiincTional- 
ity is .seamlessly integrated into the game, allow'ing others lo 
join in a single mission or campaign as wingmen, flight leaders, 
or iis copilot.s sharing the same craft. T he N''rC scenario c\'cn 
allows head-lo- 
hcad camj)aign 
action, mixing 
humans and Al 
crews on both 
sides. Connections 
are a snap to set up 
and workw'ell 
exce[)t for some 
quirks in the 
pilot/copilot mode. 

U‘)NCBO\S' 2 is a 
textbook example 
of how' to make a 

successful sequel. ^ KIOWA WARRIOR A scout and light attack helicopter, the 
By taking the I OH-58D serves as the US Army’s eyes on the battlefield, 
excellent flight i 

and .sy'stems modeling from the original and adding the fea- 
tures lliat .sim fans cry out for— eye-popping graphics, multiple 
aircraft to flv, dynamic cam])aign.s, and full multiplayer sup- 
port — the designers have created a benchmark sim far beyond 
its award-winning predecessor. % 


Check out the exclusive 
ThrustMaster program- 
ming utility for Longbcv^ 2 
on this month's CG-ROM. 


Voodoo users see graphical glitelics, and a DirectXS c|uirk keeps 
CIT joy'stick hals from being handled jrroperly. A patch is 
planned to fix these problems. 


^APPEAL; Anyone interested in heli- 
copter sims or realistic flight sims in 
general. 

^PROS: Oozes realism; gorgeous 
graphics (especially with a Voodoo 
card); immersive environment; true 
dynamic campaigns; thorough multi- 
player support; great long-term 
replayability. 

^CONS: Demanding hardware require- 
ments; no mission recorder; compati- 
bility problems on some PCs; dynami- 
cally generated 
mission structure 
results in too much 
air-to-air combat; 

OirectSD support 
requires upcoming 
patch. 


MARCH 1998 


COW 


SIMULATION/SPACL 



SmULATION/SPACE 


★ ★★★ REVIEW • F/A-18 KOREA 






Price: S45 
System Requirements: 
Pentium, Windows 95 or 
Windows NT, 16MB RAM, 
50MB hard-drive space, 
2x CD-ROM drive, 
Macintosh: PowerPC, 
System 7,0 or greater, 
16MB RAM, 50MB hard- 
drive space, 2x CD-ROM 
drive (review based on PC 
version), 
3D Support: 3Dfx 
Multiplayer Support: 
Modem, null modem, IPX 
netv/ork (2-4 players). 
Internet TCP/IP (2-4 play- 
ers): 1 CD per 4 players. 
Macintosh: Modem, null 
modem, AppleTalk (2-4 
players), Internet TCP/IP 
(2-4 players); 1 CD per 4 
players; cross-platform 
connections not supported. 
Designer: Trey Smith 
Publisher; Graphic 
Simulations Corporation 
Dallas, TX 
(972) 386-7575 
www.graphsim.com 


Super Hornet 



by Robin G. Kim 

s the state of the art in real- 
istic flight simulations ad- 
vances, creating a com]:eti- 
tive sim from scratch 
becomes increasingly 
expensive, T1iii.s, it's no big 
.surjjrise that 1'7A-1S K()RIv\ 
is an evolution of its jjrcdc- 
cessor, F/A-18 Moiysil':r 3.0. 
But owners of the earlier 
title must ask whether the added features 
arc \\'orth the price of a new game. 

FAMILIAR TERRITORY 

'file basic simulation engine in Korka 
is almost identical to the patched v'crsion 
of Hornet 3.0, with a few minor 
im[)ro\’ement.s, so it inherits nearl)' all of 
that games strengths and weaknesses. 
Tlie amazingly complex avionics model- 
ing of the original continues in KctRi-vv 
With a dozen different radar modes and 
multiple weapons-delis’cr)' technicjiics, 
the simulated combat is satisfyingly 
deep. Excellent flight-model feel makes 
flying a joy, w hethcr you’re dogfighting 
or sweating through a carrier landing at 
night. Plane perfonnance is still inaccu- 
rate in some respects — espcciallv when 
pushing the envelope — but only realism 
fanatics will probably notice or care. 

Korea includes 28 canned single- 
player missions set in a hypothetical sec- 
ond Korean War, 6 multiplaj cr missions 
flown over N/\S Fallon in Nevada, and 
the same 6 training flights as its foremn- 
ner. /Ml are \s ell-de.sigmed, offering a 
good varietyof air-to-air and air-to- 
ground action. /Mthough missions arc 
j)rescripted, randomized enemy place- 
ment provide.s some repla)’ [)otential. 
I.ater missions are rather tough to wiii, 
but various enemy Al settings can be 
adjusted to suit novices as well as 
experts. IHight times are gcncraiiy short, 
and mission planning is nonexistent— 
just .select a loadout from the large 
assortment of ordnance and go. 

Tho wingmen accompanv’ )Ou on 
most single-player missions. You can 


issue them an arraj’ of commands for air- 
to-air work, but — oddly — the)’ cannot 
be ordered to attack ground targets. 

THAT VOODOO YOU DO 

'llic ])ol)'gon gra])hics engine from 
HornEI' 3.0 is still around, offering high 
frame rates at resolutions from 640x480 
to 1024x768 even on mid-range 
Pentiums (albeit at the expense of slow- 
ing game time drastically when over- 
loaded). but KoRiiA now' also sup|)orls 
3D accelerator cards based on the 3Dfx 
\bodoo and X'oodoo Rush chipsets. 
Enabling 3D acceleration transforms the 
plain pol)gons info some of the prettiest 
\isuals ever .seen in a flight sim — with 
no noticeable perfonnance hit. 

Otlier new features include a well- 
written manual (a god.send for those w ho 
don’t want to sit through iniiitimedia 
tutorials), additional cockpit s'iew's, and a 
mis-sion builder, 'Ihc new views consist of 
17 fixed cockpit s'icws, which [jrovide 
complete visual coverage with no unreal- 
istic blind spots, plus a padlock view 
mode that allows jou to track incoming 
missiles as well as nearb)' bandits. 


'ITe mission builder is an impressive 
piece of work, allowing you to finely 
.script the actions of both aircraft and 
ground s’chicles ihrougli an efficient and 
intuitive interface. Custom mis.sions can 
be shared, offering gamers w'ho iiase 
Internet access a potentially unlimited 
number of scenarios to fly. 

F//\-I8 KoIU'A is clcarl)’ a more com- 
plete package than its predece.ssor, with 
long-temi replay value. If you’re not pul 
off by the lack of a proper campaign, this 
is definitely wt)rth a look. % 


^APPEAL: Sim veterans who enjoy 
complex systems modeling, or any- 
one looking for a realistic sim. 

^PROS: Outstanding avionics mod- 
eling; gorgeous 3D-accelerated 
graphics; high frame rate without a 
3D card; impressive mission builder. 
►COHS: Flight 
model flaws; no 
campaign; incon- 
sistencies in 
multiplayer com- 
bat when graph- 
ics engine gets 
bagged down. 







The Creators df 

DESCEIMT 



Take You Dut 
OF THE Tunnels 

AN D INTO THE 

Vast Wonders of 


S PACE 



(Yes. The mowve.copirol ship is the octuol model from ihe gome. 
And yes. oil ships ore ro scde.) 


Over 40 jow-dropping real-time ships With dynomi'c lighting, stunning effects, 
onimotion ond unprecedented levels of realiSm ond detail. 


Command intelligent squodmores, redirect up 
to 12 wingmen and. request reinforcements for 
onb.elrevobly. intense dogfights. 


0 unique species, eoch with their own 
strengths, weoknesses, toctics, ships, 
and fighting choracteristics. 



Organize "wings" of teomrnates, track 
' your statistics, , ranking, on_d mecials 
agoinst- players frotYi all over Eortfr with 
. 1 6 PLAYER INTERNET supporH • 


Chdos© from 8 differenf fighters and 
bombers, outfit them with.q wide orrqy 
of advanced weoponry • i ' 


Create" your own detoiled-missidns' 
•using "FRED", the fully-feoturecT 
mission editor. ' * 





CameplaV as' big as T(iE Capital. Shipis 


Engoge in space . 
combat ogoinsf .* 
massive capital, 
ships ond destroyers’ 
of ONvesonrie size 
ond detail. 


Cpivii^jQ Spring 


Acb'Qncie'd oifificiQl Intelligence 
(AI) sysfeiTi created by the - 
some people that mode 
^ESCENT so incredible. 


Selectively, targefship. subsystems, 
^fensive furtefs, and fighter’bdys with 
on In-depth HUD combet system. ' 




when we set out to create Descent: FreeSpace - 
The Great War, our goal was the same as with Descent: 
We're going to create the kind of game we want to ploy 


"We've been working on Descent: FreeSpace ■ The Great War for two years, 
longer than the original Descent. And it shows. The things Descent 
players will expect are all here: the best technology, the 

best A.I., the best physics, great gameplay and the continuous sense of 
wonder and surprise. It's the kind of experience you can only create when 
you pour yourselves Into your game for a very long time. 


Mike Kulas 

President of 
Volition and 
9 Designer of the 
award winning 
Descent and 
Descent II 


We learned a lot when we wrote the Descent A.I. and we applied all that to 
Descent: FreeSpace ■ The Great War. It's in a whole new class. The A.I. 
system is three times as large. much deeper and much more 
flexible. Every ship has its own set of goals it pursues through an 
environment that is the richest ever. We observed how human players handle 
complex situations and coded the A.I. to do the same intelligent things. 

In Descent: FreeSpace • The Great War, everything you do has an important 
consequence. Not only is the mission branching non-linear, but the choices 
you make in a mission, such as whether to protect a ship, can have profound 

^consequences. This offers almost limitless replayability. 

Descent: FreeSpace ■ The Great Wor will be the greatest multiplayer space sim 
ever. In fact, multiplayer code was planned from day one. Plus, we're 
launching a free matching and tracking service through our website. You'll 
always be able to find a game on the internet. And we're going to track 
games so everyone will know who are the best players in the world. 


When Descent: FreeSpace • The Great War ships this April, it will do to the space 
combat market what Descent did to first person shooters. We will have 
set the new Standord everyone else will have to measure up to." 

WWW.INTERPLAY.CaM 

W 

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SIMULATION/SPACE 


ir'ki^ici REVIEW • F-22 AIR DOMINANCE FIGHTER 




Price: S49.95 
System Requirements; 

Pentium 133, 16Mfl RAM, 
TOMB hard-drive space, 2x 
CD-ROM, SVGA video card 
capable of 800x600x16-bit 
color, sound card, mouse. 
3D Support: 3Dfx, 
Direct3D. 
Multiplayer: Modem, 
direct cable, LAN (2-8 
players), Internet TCP/IP 
(2-8 players): CD not 
required. 
Designer: Digital Image 
Design 

Publisher: Ocean of 
America 
San Jose, CA 
(408) 289-1200 
www.did.com 


Euro Raptor 

The Creators of EF2000 Tackle the Ubiquitous F-22 



by Denny Atkin 



ollowing lip il.s 1995 
CC'U'I’rcmicr 
Awiird-wiiming EF2000. 
Digital Image Design is 
hack w'ilh a siimilation of 
anoliier liigh-teeli fighter, 
the l''-22 l^iptor. As the 
fifth l'’-22,sim to conic 
out in the past vear, l'’-22 

Ai\{ DcAliXANCt: 

I'Toi I'lKR (ADl^) lias a lot lo jirove in 
a crowded market. I5iit with iLs 
detailed .simulation of the F-22s 21st- 
century cockpit, a host of engaging 
missions, and a unique AWACS 
mode, its a standout. 

UNDER THE CANOPY 

E1'7000 fans who hop into the 
cockpit of DlDis i''-22 will find familiar 
territor)'. Ihc higli-Icch, multifunction 
dispiay-hased cockpit has been updat- 
ed to reflccl ihc l‘'-22s highly autonial- 
cd .sy'stems. The virliial cockpit, excel- 
lent view padlock, and full-.scrccn 
Mh'D views are all tweaked v ersions of 
those in El^OOO, 


If \nu compare ADFs cockpit to 
1 /icklieed promotional literature and 
articles mAvnition Week ifsevidcnl 
that iLs simulation of the real F-22s sy's- 
tems is more authentic lhan any other 
.sim. Offeasivc, defensive, situational, 
and .systems MFDs are thoroughly 
modeled, as arc the F-22s nidar, infrared 
search and track, and LAN' 1 1 RN .sys- 
lcni.s. flhe latter aren’t fitted to the real 
purc-fightcr F-22, but likely will be if ihc 
plane is u.sed in air-to-ground role.) To 
succeed at many missioiis, you’ll need 
lo learn how to set the FMCON 
(1'iMis.sion CONdilions), which control 
how stealthily the planes s\ ■stems arc 
o])eniting. 


WTiilc the .s\ '.stems modeling Ls top- 
notch, the flight model is missing a 
few bells and whistles. The real F-22 
has aulomatic 2D thrust-vectoring 
(this points engine tlmist up and dens'll 
to allow you lo jiull the plane’s nose to 
seemingly impossible angles), but 
/\DF' forces you to engage s'ectoring 
by holding dossu the Tilde key (~). 
TTiis makes the plane’s response more 
predictable, bul I’d welcome an auto- 
matic mode in any updates. Also, the 
fly-by-wire systems in the F-22 actual- 
ly change the aircraft’s responsiveness 
to control input depending on your sit- 
uation; for instance, it tames handling 
during landing. Wliilc NovaLogic’s 
F-22 RM'LOR models 
this feature, its aksent 

inADF 

T’hcse are the only 
iioliceable omis,sions 
in the aircraft model- 
ing. Speed bleed in 
turns, perfomiancc 
changes at altitude, 
and the capabilities of 
various aircraft t)'pcs 
all seem right on. 
I’liglit models are 
noticcablvmore 
detailed than those in 

F.MOOO. 

CAN O' MISSIONS 

ADF sports four 
types of missions: 
Instant Action, your 
basic "shoot every- 
thing" quick combat; 





F-22 AIR DOHINAHCE FIGHTER • REVIEW 


Simulator, single stand-alone missions; 
Tours of Dut)', linked, scripted missions 
that font) campaigns; and Multiplayer 
missions. Tiie dj'namic campaign found 
in 1^1^000 isAWOL(see the“Total Air 
War” sidebar for further details). 

Most of tlie Simulator missions focus 
on training. 'Fliey cover not only basic 
flight, but also weapons tactics, using the 
l'-22s stealth and proper utilization of 
wingmen. 'Fliis is also where you’ll find 
the AWACs missions. 

In the Tour of Duty section you’ll find 
three campaigns. While EROOO had a 
dynamic campaign that generated mis- 
sions based on the outcome of previous 
combat, the missions here are prescript- 
ed. On the plus side, these carefully 
crafted missions are generally more 
interesting than the dynamic campaign 
missions in EF2000, which quickly grew 
repetitive. On the downside, once you've 
worked through the training missions 
and the 30 Tour of Duty missions, all yon 
can do is repeat your experiences until 
the campaign discs become available. 

lire missions themselves pose a num- 
ber of interesting challenges— you’ll 
need to use your smarts, not just brute 
force, to win many of them. Mission 


Control 

A long with the F-22 mis- 
sions, ADF includes a num- 
ber of AWACS missions, 
which will give you a taste of the 
upcoming TAW expansion pack. 
Simulating a workstation in an E- 
3 Airborne Warning And Control 
System, the AWACS missions let 
you specify air and ground tar- 
gets for allied functions. You can 
play an entire mission In real- 
time strategy mode, specifying 
routes and directing planes to 
targets, or you can jump in and 
out of the cockpits of F-22s in 
the combat arena. 


Total Air War 

A DF doesn’t have an EF2Q00-styIe dynamic campaign, but that shortcoming will 
be corrected this summer with the release of the Tom Air War expansion pack. 
Digital Image Design has been working with U.S. air-campaign planners from 
Desert Storm and visiting various other air forces to ensure that the TAW campaign 
simulates actual battle doctrine with unprecedented accuracy. TAW’s mission planner 
will let you alter dynamic campaign missions or create custom missions for the 
Simulator and Tour of Duty modules. You'll also be able to watch the missions play 
out from the overview screen, control allied forces from an AWACS station, or jump 
into the action in Die cockpit of an F-22. 


goals usually involve protecting or 
destroying a particular aircraft or ground 
target, then returning alive to your 
departure air base. 'Hiis can be annoy- 
ing, bccau.se while the AWACS will hap- 
pily point you to a divert air ba,sc if your 
plane is heavily damaged, landing any- 
where other than the preprogrammed 
base will re, suit in mission failure. 

ADF includes nine multiplayers mis- 
sions, with different weather conditions, 
battle locales, and aircraft armament. 
Tliey range from guns-only deatbmatch- 
es lo multiple team missions in which 
the object is to defend your air base 
while taking out the enemy’s. Up to eiglit 
players can participate, but as of this 
writing there was no online serv'er along 
the lines of F-22 RaI’I'CR’s NovaWoHd. 

CANDID CAMERA 

Everiiave a mission end suddenly 
without ever seeing the guy who blew 
you to pieces? With ADFs Air Combat 
Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMl) 
module, you can record and replay both 
single- and mulli[)!ayer missions. The 
replay doesn’t use the game’s 3D engine, 
hi.it rather a military-style wireframe dis- 
play. Although its been visually spruced 
up, it looks very similar to the ACMI dis- 
plays 1 saw at 'lyndall A1''B when I visited 
for my F-15 familiarization flight in 1994. 

lire graphics and sound in ADF are 
to[>-notch. With the game supporting 
both 3Dfx Clide and Direct 3D (with 
enhanced texture support for ACP 
chips like the Intel 740), the graphics in 
genera! look superb, 'I here is a bit of 
pixelalion in city areas, and visible 
seams where some terrain tiles inter- 
sect, but these glitches are overshad- 
owed by the lovely desert and rolling 
hill textures and the transparent fog and 
cloud effects. I'himc rate was good on a 
P166 running in 2D mode, and siik)'- 
smooth on the same system running 
under Clide with a Pure 3D card. 



^SPLASH ONE Don’t fly through the debris after you 
I shoot down an enemy or you may suffer damage. 

Sound is very good, with wonderful 
stereo effects. 

Along with a good manual and thor- 
ough online documentation, the pack- 
age includes Allies nndAcIvcrsnrics. a 
wonderful book from lire editors of 
World Air Power jounml, giving back- 
ground on ail the planes in the sim. 

Aviation buffs will love this reference, 
wliich could easily sell for $20 itself. 

ADI ' isn't without ii.s c|uirks and omis- 
sions. You can't choose your plane’s load- 
out before a mission, you occasionally 
sec objects through hills, and the lack of 
a mission builder means play will even- 
tually grow repetitive. Still, this is one of 
tire most addictive jet sims I've pla>ed in 
a long time, and by the time it starts to 
get stale, the To'IAI, Alit War add-on 
should be around to rejuvenate it. 

^APPEAL: Anyone who enjoys 
authentic modem jet-fighter simula- 
tions; EF20QO fans looking for a sim 
with a similar tlavor. 

>PROS: Gond flight modeling; engag- 
ing missions; detailed aircraft sys- 
tems; innovative AWACS mode. 

►CONS: Canned 
missions combined 
with the lack ot a 
mission editor limit 
replay value; thrust 
vectoring not han- 
dled authentically. 




MARCH 1998 


ccw 


SIMULATION/SPACE 











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The Joint Strike Fighter is the airpower of the future. 

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: new Joint Strike Fighter: 


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To reveal the future of high-tech weaponry, including the AGM-154 Joint Stand Off 
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Elapsed lime 00:00:00 




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SIMULATION/SPACE 


★ ★★★ REVIEW • F-22 RAPTOR 




Price: $44.95 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 133 (P200 recom- 
mended), Windows 95, 
16MB RAM {32MB recom- 
mended), SVGA graphics, 
4x CD-ROM. mouse, 
sound card: joystick rec- 
ommended. 
3D Support; None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Modem, direct serial, LAN 
(2-16 players, 1 CD per 
player), Internet (2-16 
players. 1 CD per player), 
NovaWorld (2-128 players, 
1 CD per player). 
Designer: Randy Casey 
Publisher: NovaLogic 
Calabasas, CA 
(818) 880-1997 
www.novalogic.com 


Getting Serious 

NovaLogic’s Second F-22 Sim Gets More 
Serious, But StitI Emphasizes Action 


by Denny Atkin 




A ]>piircntl)' slinging 
from criticism that 
last )'cars F-22 
LiGirfNiNGliwasa 
bil light in the realism 
department, 
NovaI.iOgic teamed 
with Lockhecd- 
Martin (the company 
that’s building the real 
F-22) to develop a more authentic 
simulated aircraft, 'llic resulting 
product, F-22 Rm’IOR, .sports an 
interesting combination of realistic 
plane perfomiance in a decidedly 
action-oriented environment. 


AIRPLANE BY LOCKHEED 

’’Ihe game box has LxDckhccd- 

Martin and NovaUrgic logos on Y RAPTOR DOWN An F-22 Raptor meets the business end of a Sidewinder missile In a game 
it-and that’s not jast the result of I on NovaLogic’s NovaWorld server 


a licensing agreement. 'Pest pilots 
for the Yh’-22 and F-22 dc\'clopmcnt pro- 
grams consulted with NovaLogic on the 
sim’s flight model, and R\ri'OR shows 
clear signs of the c.\pert input. 

Novalorgics first sim had a ver)- light- 
weight flight model, v\'ith odd takeoff 
behavior, rudders that would allow flat 
turns at supersonic speeds, and too 
much energ)’ rctenliou in maneuvers. 
Here you’ll find dramatic improvements; 
Takeoffs feel right, rudders are toned 
dowai, and heavy maneuvering takes its 


LOCK AND FIRE F-22 Lightning II vets 
will like the new EF2000-style padlock 
view for tracking enemy planes. 


loll on \'oiir air.s])eecL Roll rates vary with 
altitude and airspeed. /\nci as with the 
real F-22, the jet’s f]y-b)--wirc handling is 
tamed when jou clro[5 the landing gear. 

Tire F-22’s advanced offensive and 
defensive instrument displays are mod- 
eled here as well, but that makes little dif- 
ference in actual gameplay. i^yihough 
)'ou can glance down and view any of 
the instruments on the panel, the pop-up 
radar display and 1 lUD give ) ou nearly 
all the infonnation you need— look 
do\Mi onl)' to check system damage. 
Wliile the MUD and di.splavs match up 
well with puhliclv available F-22 infor- 
mation. the .systems aren’t modeled with 
the level of detail you'll find in F-22AJR 
Domimvcck. FlGiriTRor lF-22. For 
instance, the real F-22’s radar’s emissions 
arc tunable depending on the combat 
situation and importance of stealth; this 
has only on and off settings. 

CAMPAIGN BY HOLLYWOOD 

Wiile the aircraft modeling .sets new 
standards for Nowila)gie, the camjjaign 


is just an inerenienlal upgrade. Although 
the box and documentation refer to 
"dynamic campaigns," in fact, the mis- 
sions are pre.seriptcd. lfyx)u fail a mis- 
sion, you must f]\' it again, and you'll see 
the exact .same .sequence of events on 
your next attempt, 

\Vliat is new is that targets you lake 
out in one mission stay destroyed 
throughout the campaign. So ifyou use 
a leftover JDAM bomb to take out a fac- 
tory that was to be a target in a later mis- 
sion, you'll find yourself with a different 
target later on. Similarly, taking out lots 
of extra fighters on early missions should 
help keep you from facing os erwhelming 
odds later on. Wliile this does make for a 
more interesting campaign than one 
with no \ariancc on replay; its far from 
what’s considered "dynamic" in the sim 
industry'. Many players will be content 
w'ilh the mission slriieliire that is there, 
but siiame on Novak, ogie for misrepre- 
senting it in attempt to drag in gifmers 
looking for a Inie dynamic campaign. 

'Ib mo\’e on to the next mission, you 


CGW 


MARCH 1998 



F-22 RAPTOR • REVIEW 


must accomplish all the primar}' mission 
goals. These vary, and include destroying 
particular flights of enemy aircraft, tak- 
ing out a certain ground target, or ensur- 
ing the surv'ival of an e.scorted flight. On 
one mission, an enemy flight tlial was a 
primary goal never showed up — even 
when I replayed the mission — and 1 was 
forced to restart the cain])aign, (Ihank- 
full)', it was only the tliird mission.) 

Tlie five campaigns have a Holly- 
wood feel, evident from the very' first 
mission, when your wingman goads you 
to disobe)' a "retum to base” order and 
take out another flight of enemy aircraft. 
Exciting, but hardly authentic. Wngman 
Af and control is much better here than 
in the previous game — \our wingies are 
now' a valuable resource for taking out 
enemy targets. Enemy AI is improved as 
well, \\ith gunfights fairk challenging. 

NOT IN THE CARDS 

F-22 R-\fi'Or’s graphics engine looks 
great on a 2D card. Enhancements over 
the original include better lighting, more 
detailed aircraft (including the best-look- 
ing Raptor model of the fi\'e F-22 sims), 
and softw-are filtering to eliminate block- 
iness at lo\s’ altitudes. There are man)' 
nice e)'e-candy details, such as flights of 
Harriers doing \TOL launches to your 
side as) ou barrel down tiie ninw'a)'. 

A variety' of terrain areas, times of day', 
and weather conditions keep things \'isu- 
ally interesting in the sim, /\s with F-22 
LlCf-rrsiNG II. tire terrains are a bit e.xag- 
gerated, with 10,000-foot mountains 
popping up cvcn'whcrc to gi\’e a sense 
of speed and provide good terrain mask- 
ing in dogfights. 

On a P166 or better, you should see 


Online Fracas 

F -22 Raptor supports DirectPlay multiplayer games over modem, null- 
modem cable, LAN, or Internet. But In addition to allowing you to 
host up to 16 players on your own PC, NovaLogIc has gone a step 
further with the NovaWorld online matchmaking service. This allows you 
to join games with more than 100 other Raptor pilots via the Internet. 

At launch, NovaWorld supported two game types: a simple deathmatch 
mode and tiie more intriguing Raptor Air War (RAW). In the latter game, 
you join one of two teams and attempt to destroy the enemy team’s air 
base. Each player can choose to be a fighter, armed with guns and 
Sidewinders, or a bomber, with only the gun and JDAM bombs. 

NovaLogic’s programmers did a superb job with the multiplayer code- 
even in games with mote than 30 players, there was no perceptible lag in 
close-in combat. 

There is room for improvement, however. You get assigned to whichever 
team has fewer members when you join a NovaWorld RAW gam^ making 
it tough to set up group versus group combats, and often putting you on 
the same team as your former enemies, should you leave and reenter the 
game. Also, flying radar-cold only seems to affect detection by SAM sites, 
making sneak attacks on the enemy difficult. 

Still, it’s a blast, and play is free at the moment (NovaLogIc makes fine- 
print references to it being free during its beta period, implying that a 
charge may be Instituted at some future date). NovaLogic promises to 
enhance the multiplayer functionality with automatic updates, with run- 


ning scores, squadron 
play, and ladders coming 
soon. 


fairly smooth frame rates; 
playing on a PB3 I found 
things particularly choppy. 
Look for a noticeable speed 
boost on MiViX PC,s, but don't 
count on your 3D card being 
any' help; Raffor doesn’t sup- 
port 3D hardw'are. TTis isn’t a 
big issue on P166MMX or 



faster machines, but owners of slower 
PCs equipped with 3D hardware w'ill 
ycani for 3D support. 

Sound has been done very' nicely 
here, with Dolby stereo support and a 
very wide variety of 


means beginners who mm e on to more 
hard-core sims won't have to iinicam 
any bad habits. Quirks aside, I '-22 
R\F10R is interesting and action-packed, 
and should provide plenty of enjoyment 
and fun for the sim pilot. % 



^ BEAUTIFUL BIRD Despite the sim’s lack of 3D support, 
I the Raptor here is the best looking of any F-22 sim. 


digitized in-flight 
communications, 
which were recorded 
by Mariire pilots. 

Wliile tlie action- 
oriented, marginally 
\’ariable campaign 
may frustrate some of 
the more liard-corc 
pilots, the flashy mis- 
sions keep the simula- 
tor interesting for the 
more casual gamer, 
’lliis is notan intimi- 
dating game, and the 
realistic flight-niodd 


^APPEAL: Flight-sim fans who 
want realistic aircraft perfomiance 
but don’t mind a little Top Gun in 
the storyline. 


>PROS: Top-notch flight modeling; 
some of the best 2D-card graphics 
around; superb support for multi- 
player Internet play. 


►COHS: No 3D-( 
campaign mode 
isn’t really 
dynamic as 
claimed, which 
forces you to fly 
unsuccessful 
missions again. 


support; 




MARCH 1996 


ccw 


SIMULATION/SPACE 





e 1998 MIcroProw. tna Ml rtghts rsMivsd. UlUmate Race Pro I* a tmde 



'lidLLiiL CLLU: \'au. ViIlLLlllu 




Jump into one of 16 tricked-out-megahorse'power-street-cars and lay down some significant rubber. You and 
up to 16 other uncivilized drivers now can race on dozens of random and twisting city streets, desert terrains 
and country tracks. Sure, the weather conditions change on you from thunderstorms to dense fog, but don't 




mUTiIMfCcOarE 




SIMULATION/SPACE 


'k'ki 


REVIEW • HEAVY GEAR 




Price: S49.95 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 90 (320x200. no 
textures; P166 minimum 
for 640x480), Windows 95, 
16MB RAM (24MB for 
multiplayer); SVGA graph- 
ics, 4x CD-ROM, sound 
card, mouse, 
3D Support: 3Dfx, 
Rendition. Direct3D, 
Multiplayer Support: 
Modem, direct cable, LAN 
(2-8 players), Internet (2-8 
players); 1 CD per player. 

Original Design: 
Dream Pod 9 
Designer: Dustin Browder 
Publisher: Activision 
Santa Monica, CA 
(310) 255-2000 
www.activision.com 


Jammed Gears 


Activision’s Giant Robots Have Fallen, and They Can’t Get Up 

by Greg Fortune 




them again or go find a lag-laden online 
game. Tlic decision not to include a mis- 
sion editor or random mission generator 
is a serious IjIow to the replay value of 
this product. 

i\fter configuring iny control setup, 1 
went to adjust the graphics and see how' 
the game engine looked. 1 
changed to the softw'are-only 
mode, and 1 have lliis recom- 
mendation; If you do not own 
a 3D accelerator card, don’t 
buy this game. 'Ilic software 
640x480 mode is not pretts; 
and it has a terrible frame rate. 

'llic textures look [)retty bad, 
and if you turn them off, 
enemy Gears can be nearly 
invisible. The game won’t 
even look as goori as 
Mi-:cii\V\!UU()it 2. /\s bad as 
this sounds, it’s a inasterpiece 
com|Dared to 320x200, the 


recommended mode for Pentium 150 or 
slower machines. There, I can’t even 
read the names of the weapons in the 
HUD, and the other Gears just look like 
strange blobs, in fact, I once mistook a 
rock for a gear in this mode and emptied 
scs erai roimds of ammo into it before 


► PRETTY, JERKY Running this level of detail without 
I 3D acceleration results in jerky frame rates and 
heavily dithered textures. 


A cti\'ision’s iVlECI lW\iUU(til 
games have long been 
regarded as the best entries 
in the“giant robot simula- 
tion" subgenre. And unfor- 
tunately, despite higli 
hopes, it appears that the 
comj)an\’’s HEvWY Gi-'.AR 
vson’t be stealing any of the 
thunder from the 

MecmWarrioh scries. Somehow, I gel 
the feeling that the Hfaw Gfar design 
team must be as upset about this as \\'e 
are, because its obvious that this game 
could have been another big hit wilh a 
couple of months more work. As it 
stands, the game feels more like a beta 
than a finished product and is woefully 
incomplele in many areas. 


INSTANT ANNOYANCE 

Tlie first thing I wanted to do after 
getting the game booted up was jump 
into an In.slant 


Action scenario 
and get a feel for 
the AI and engine. 
I checked the 
main menu, and 
figuring that I was 
jiust being blind, 
proceeded to 
check the manual. 
Sure enough, 
there is no Instant 
Action mode! 
MEClTW/\ttR[OR 
2: Mr;RCi';NARiK.s 
remains on my 
hard drive after all 
this time because 
I can jump into a 
random mission 
with random ene- 
mies and mix it 
up. After you’s'e 
finished tlic cam- 
paigns in Hi'.’WA' 
GraR, you’ve got 
two choices. Iday 


^ DETAIL ORIENTED The graphics look fantastic on 3D card-equipped systems, but they slow down when the 
I shooting starts. 


n 


ccw 


MARCH 1998 




In eight seconds, your 
machine swallows 
the strip whole: 

a blurred quarter mile 
of screaming speed 
and the smell of 
burning rubber! 


• 20 unique cars on 20 unique tracks. 

• Dozens of customizable components to tweak. 

• 32 telemetry and time card data points are 
recorded to analyze your performance. 

• Accurate physics including realistic engine 
model, suspension, tires and collisions. 

• Replay and save your best races and crashes. 

• Compete in a single race, event, or endure an 
entire season. 

Multi-player support over modem and LAN. 


The ground trembles... 
Flames erupt. .Smoke 
and nitro fill the air... 







REVIEW • HEAVY GEAR 



Not only can you play the 
games you currently own, but 
they will perform even better. 
Over 1 50 games are already 
working on Voodoo^ with 
hundreds more in development. 
PC gaming cdmes of age. 

Software. 


Best Hardware. Best Software, 


Ml 



1 ^ 


closing to point bkiiik range and seeing (.sort of) the 
rock for what it wa.s. 

[ cjuickiy moved on to the "iV) modc.s, cliecking the 
BDfx mode first. Mi'AV^' Gkar looks considerably bet- 
ter with a 3D card, but there were several really obvi- 
ous problems, 'ibe textures just don't look quite right. 
Other problems aren’t quite ,so subtle, such as the dust 
from your wheels as you roll across dry land. In an age 
where man)' 3D sims have wispy, semitranslucent 
smoke and clouds, the dust here ap[)ears in the fonn 
of big square black pixels rising from the ground, as 
doc,s smoke from another damaged gear. 

lb top things off. w'bile the frame rate can be quite 
smooth w'hen )ou’re tras'ersing terrain, tire action gels 
jumpy and starts stuttering as .soon as otlier Gears 
appear on the battlefield and start firing. Tire frame- 
rate problems make control difficult enough that I 
end up pla)'ing the game in low light (wire frame) 
mode, as the textures and visual effects aren’t worth 
the hit to playability. My guess is that the designers 
didn’t have time to optimize the graphic effects and 
])crfomiancc. because 1 can't imagine anyone design- 
ing them tliat w'ay intentionally. 



► MESHING GEARS The drag-and-drop interlace for cus- 
I tomizing your Gear is a welcome improvement from the 
I MechWarrior series. 


IN THE COCKPIT 

The Gear design .section is well done, with drag- 
and-drop com])oncnt.s and a simple interface. The 
Gear components can be customized as well, allow- 
ing )'ou to decide on details, such as whether to use 
light or standard actuators in the knees of your gear. 
You dro|) weapons into place by dragging tlicm to an 
available mounting point. I was .surprised that yon 
can’t bold a .second rifle in the left hand, which is 
rcserv'ed for grenade use only. A second aulocannon 
in that band would have been miicli more iLScfiil 
than those grenades ever were. 

There are twx) mi,s.sion types a\'ailable: Story and 
'lour of Dtity. Stor)' is a scripted campaign mode with 
a predetennined story line. 1 Icre, you’re an elite pilot 
for the Northern Guard. If you want a little more con- 
trol over your destiny, you can choose the Tour of 
Duty, which allow's you to ])ick your allegiance and 




COW 


MARCH 1996 



STAR COMMAND 


DELUXE 



Violence, revolution, benocioe, ano occasionally, 

ALL OUT WAR. 

Just another oay in the balaxy. 

So what if it’E not politically correct? It's a game. A strategic challenge that tests your mettle as well as 


your mind. See. while you're blowing away ships from the baddest races in the galaxy, you've got to build 
your own killer space armada. If you survive. Star Command Deluxe, Not Just your everyday blood and gore. 


Unlimited free on-iine piay! 


Available 11/97. Impatient? Dewnlaad the demo 

www.metra3d.CDm 


GO TO #168 @ www.computergaming.com/infollnk 


KIDS TO ADULTS 



CONTENT RATED BY 



A baffling string of horrific serial murders. A shadowy 
brotherhood in pursuit of unimaginable power. An unholy 
ritual revived from the dark and distant past. This is 
liliick Oahtiiv, America's most sensational unsolved murder 
case, now a haunting adventure of occult mystery. 


From the creators of Ripper, a superb storyline Inspired by actual events. 
A stunningly rendered, amazingly real 3'Dimenslonal game world that 
includes over 70 locations on two continents. 

:More than 60 challenging and seamlessly integrated puzzles. 

A unique Interface which immerses you in the ultimate adventure 
game experience. 

An ou^nding cast of professional actors starring Dennis Hopper, 

Terl Barr and Darren Eliker. 


YJ: 



■I J ’i 



1 '" 

J 





HEAVY GEAR • REVIEW 


Sharing the Pain 


T he same probiems that piague the single player game 
make the multiplayer aspects, e^ challenging as well. 
There are a wealth of connection options, and the 
development team has admirably supported multiplay- 
er campaigns instead of simpler deathmatch options. 
Unfortunately, the performance and graphics probimns are com- 
pounded by the additionai processing time needed to stay con- 
nected and in ^nc. (Activision’s Heavy Gear FAQ on its Web site 
admits that the multiplayer features are still at the beta level.) 
While Internet play supports up to eight players, you’ll be limited 
to four if any players are using modems rather than T1 lines. 
Most of the comments I’ve heard about multiplayer Heavy Gear 
have been negative, and my own experiences have been under- 
whelming as well. Many players who play regularly say it is fun 
only if you tolerate the engine problems. Some games are saved 
by their multiplayer value, but here the single-player problems 
hamper multiplayer as well. 


your battles. Your 
victories in this 
mode actually influ- 
ence the course of 
the battle, and you’ll 
see the front lines 
move back and 
forth, depending on 
how well you do. 

Your supplies, rein- 
forcements, and 
mission ty'pes also 
depend on your skill 
in the Gears, There 
are a variety' of mis- 
sion types and 
objectives, but they don’t fee! very dif- 
ferent from one another. 

The A] is very good, but inconsistent, 
lliere are times when tlie enemy will 
hide behind rocks and duck behind 
co\’er. Tliere are also times \'i'hen an 
enemy Gear will stand there and take 
fire for several seconds before react- 
ing to it. The biggest problem is that 
with five or six Gears on the field the 
frame rate drops a lot, and you can 
almost hear anything less than a 
Pentium II scream in pain when this 
liappcns. 



SIDE SHOOTER With articulated guns and hips, why do • 
many shots have to veer off to the side upon exiting the 
gun barrel? 


robbed them of producing a hit and us 
of getting a great game. I-lli-vw Gl-lMt 
just doesn’t look like a finished ])r()ducl. 
I’d love to see a fully cooked version of 
this game, because parts of it .show great 
potential. But as it stands, its still a bit 
too chewy to enjoy. % 


^APPEAL: Die-hard giant robot 
game fans who really, really need 
a new fix. 


MECH IT STOP! 

Tire most disappointing thing about 
this game is that you see lots of parts of 
tlie game that reall)’ do sliow care and 
creativity. I don’t know \s’hat caused 
Activision to stop the team short of 
completion, but whatever the reason, it 


^PROS: Nicely done dynamic cam- 
paign; good gear design lab; some 
original gamepiay. 

►CONS: Game 
engine slows 
easily; visually 
looks unfinished; 
unacceptable 
frame rate; 
inconsistent arti- 
ficial intelli- 
gence. 






Improved grBj^iics mean brighter 
explosions, greena’ trains, bloodier war. 


Hardcore, multi-player. Windows 95 action. 
Fight it out □\ffir the internet, free. 


Available 11/97. Impatient? 
Download the demo @ 


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GO TO #168 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 







Full Virtual Cockpit 


AWACS Mission Control 


1 

AWACS Simulation 

ACMI 

Realistic Stealth Mode 

ScaleableSDMao 

FREE Reference Guide 


YES 1 

YES 

YES 

YES ■ 

YES 

iF22-iMaqic 

NO 

NO 

NO 

NO 

NO 

F22 Raotor- NovaLoaic 

NO 

NO 

NO 

NO 

NO 

JFIII-Eidos 

NO 

NO 

NO 

NO 

NO 








It happens in a heartbeat. 

You're commanding an AWACS aircraft through 2.5 
miliion square miies of astonishingly detailed 
battlespace. Or you're mixing it up with bandits 
and bogeys in your own F-22 Air Dominance Fighter. 

But it only happens with DID's F-22 Air Dominance 
Fighter, the flight simulation Denny Atkin of 
Computer Gaming World calls, "the most advanced 
F-22 sim out there." 

Believe it. DID's F-22 Air Dominance Fighter is 
loaded with features you won't find anywhere else. 

So strap in and prepare to lead, fight, or get out 
of the way. It's your choice, but make it now. 

There's a war to win... 





GO TO #2B8 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 




U.S. CHESS 


USCF Chess is easy to tise, fim to play^ and, on its tnaximum settings an 
amazingly strong opponent. Measure yourself against USCF Chess and see hoi 
you would do in actual United States Chess Federation toumament^lay ” 

Mike CavaUn, Executive Director of the United States Chess Federation. ' 


'USCF Chess is fim to play and will hei 
among the best in the world' 

Grandmaster Yasser Seirawau 


rate 


The only chess program officially endorsed by the United States 
Chess Federation - the largest chess organization in the U.S. 


The only chess program that can award an official U.S.C.F. 
rating that can be used to enter an official tournament 


The only chess program with a user-friendly interface, 
300,000 move opening book library, and tutorials 
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USCF Chess includes an offer for a discounted membership 
in the USCF 


Adjustable computer AI speeds, ability levels LAN 
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Coming Itiis November. 


USCf Chess: 01997 liilufpljy PruducJlionB. All nghts leserved. USCF Chess, Tiie U.S. Chets Federalioii loge . 
reserved Irlerpluy and By Ganiets For Garners are iraaerrnrks of Interplay Productions. All rights reserved. Ml o 


U.S. Cliuss Fedireton are trademarks of the United Stales Chess Fedeiatlon. Ail nghts 
liaUeinarKS and copyrights are the property ot their respective owners All nghts reserved. 


GO TO S091 ® www.computergaining.com/inlolink 




SEVEN KINGDOMS • REVIEW A 


Fit for a King 

Interactive Magic’s Complex Game of Strategy 
Will Reward You With Deep Gameplay 


by Elliott Chin 



W ith so many good 
games to choose 
from, real-time 
gamers are in hea\- 
en these da)^. 
D/\iU(Rt:iGN, 
Mvin.Aci:; OK 

ANTS'iniLVIlON— 
lliese are llie cream 
of the erop, and S'l>\RCR’\>’l and 
POPUt-OLiS are just around tlie comer. 
Ihere are other lesser-known ill’s games, 
tliough, tliat are wortlw of gamers’ atten- 
tion; Diamonds in the rough, so to speak, 
that will reward tire ])atient gamer. 
Interactive Ma^cs StAiiX Ki.\cdg.ms, 
dev eloped by Trevor Chan and Eniighl 
Studios, is such a game. Like Chan’s 
C.APn:ALiSM, Semun Kingdoms is deep, 
complex, and challenging. Wliile it also 
shares C.APrii-UJSMs steep learning curve, 
it goes l>e\ond Chans first effort bv' being 
more fun and personable. 


HISTORY 101 

Unlike the raft of sci-fi real-time 
games, Si':\a-:N Kingdoms is a semi- 
historical strategy game in a vein similar 
to Act; OK E-MPIRIvS. You can control one 
of .seven different cultures— Chinese, 
Creek, )a|>anese, Mayan, Nomian, 
Norse, or Persian — in an open-ended 
attempt to grow ) our empire by winning 
over independent villages and dominat- 
ing )our neighbors. You start out as a 
small village of your initial nationality, 
but can assimilate other cultures b)’ con- 
quest or by persuasion. 

Wdicn }'ou first boot up St^ivN 
KiNGDONts, you’ll see that there is no 
campaign game and no scenario editor, 
both sta[5les of real-time strateg)' games. 
Story-driven campaigns give us a varict)' 
of linked challenges, allow us to feel a 
sense of accomplishment after each sce- 
nario, and provide an impetus to keep 
playing the game. SM'IN Kingdo.ms’ 
lack of a campaign shortchanges gamers 


on gameplay. live .same can be said for 
its lack of a scenario editor, 

\V!iat you do get is a game similar to 
ClviM/vVnON. You start out as one puny 
town and then attempt to create a vast 
empire. If you grow so large that ) Ou 
can crush your rivals and eliminate ail 
otiier kingdoms, you win the game. 
That’s it. In many other strategy games, 
including AGK OK EmI’IRKS, this vvouid- 
n’l offer nearly enough gameplay. 
Movvever, KiNGIiOMS gets awa)' 

with it (barely) because of its incredible 
depth and com|)lexily. It also does not 
emphasize combat, Manv other real- 
time games, because they are all about 
building up troops and smashing the 
enemy, w ould be terrible as open- 
ended single-scenario games. Put in 
Skven Kingdoms, there is .so much to 
do that an open-ended game could last 
for hours. 

Even despite the wealth of game 
options (such as world sizes, victor}' con- 
ditions, and random 


piN TOO DEEP Seven Kngooms is a complex strategy game. You'll need to pay close attention to 
I diplomacy, espionage, economy, and population management. 


events), which serve to 
increase the re[)layability of 
Sl'MvN KtNGDOMS, the 
lack of a campaign is a dis- 
appointment. 

However, in addition to 
the single scenario game, 
there is multipla}'er support, 
a tutorial, and scenarios, 
lire scenarios liven u[) the 
package by providing vuur 
mis.sions with specific con- 
ditions and goals, time lim- 
its, and var>'ing difficulty 
Icvcklhc tutorial is good, 
and comjdetcly necessary 
for a game with this level of 
complexity. It walks you 
through combat, trade, 
mining and manufackiring, 
and cs|3ionagc, 'lire tutorial 
also covers the assimilation 
of inde[>endenl village, s, the 






Price: S49.95 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 90. Windows 
95, 16MB RAM, 45MB 
hard-drive space, SVGA 
graphics. 4x CD-ROM 
drive, 100 percent 
Sound-Blaster-compati- 
bie sound card. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Null modem, modem (2 
players), LAN, Internet 
(2-7 players); 1 CD per 
every 4 players. 
Designer; Trevor Chan 
and Enlight Studios 
Publisher: 

Interactive Magic 
Research Triangle 
Park, NC 
(919) 461-0722 
www.imagicgames.com 


MARCH 199S CCW 



STRATEGY/WARGAMES 



STRATEGY/WARGAMES 


REVIEW • SEVEN KINGDOMS 


taking on of foreign kingdoms, and the 
tackling of the monster lairs in various 
locations around the map. 


SO HOW DEEP IS IT? 

Unlike many other real-time games, 
you don’t create units. You start with 
one tow'n and a population. People are 
your most valuable resource in this 
game, but you don’t directly increase 
their numbers. Instead, you indirectly 
increase population by carefully man- 
aging your empire and building a robust 
standard of living. 

You can recaiit common workers and 
soldiers or train specialists from your 
towTis population. Specialists are impor- 
tant for the six as])ecls of empire man- 
agement in the game; conslmction, lead- 
ership, mining, manufacturing, research, 
and espionage. 

With constmetion w'orkers, you build 
mines to extract resources, factories to 
turn the raw materials into finished 
goods, markets to sell either raw or fin- 
ished goods, forts to house and train 
troops, towers of science to re.search 
vs'eapons, and war factories to build siege 
weapons. Tire factories, mines, and to\s’- 
ers require workers to operate, if you 
build these buildings close to a village, 
then \i!iagers will automatically move 
into the buildings to work. If you build 
the stmetures far from towos, then you 
need to settle a new village near your 
work sites. 

Economics is a little more complicat- 
ed. As with the rest of the game, it relies 
on some serious interdependencies. In 



► CAPITALISM REDUX The economic model is veiy robust in Seven 
Kingdoms. You'll need to mine raw materials, refine them, and sell 
the finished goods to domestic and foreign markets. 


▲i 



► ns NOT ALL ABOUT ARMS Combat is necessary for 
eventual subjugation of enemy kingdoms, but you 
need to weaken your enemies first through effective 
use of diplomacy and espionage. 


order lo get money, which is necessary 
for ail your empire’s needs, )ou need to 
mine raw materials. You can sell these 
raw materials at markets or refine them 
in factories to make finished products. 
Tlicse products can also be sold for cash. 
You can sell either of these goods in for- 
eign lands, hut you must build j'our own 
market linked to foreign (owns. I lowe\'cr, 
as with ail aspects of this game, there arc 
additional considerations, 'lb get these 
raw- or finished goods to foreign markets 
(or to mo\’e raw materials betw een 
unlinked mines and facloric.s or mar- 
kets), )'ou need lo build caravans. 

Yes, it’s com])lcx. but the bad ncw.s is, 
this is only a simplified over\'iew'. 
l-lowc\'cr. 1 like the economic model. It’s 
much deeper than the abstracted 
economies ofAc'.Kand Cl\'. 

Espionage is equally sophisticated, 
and is much belter realized here than in 
many other strateg}' games. You can train 
spies lo infiltrate enemy citic.s to check 
up on your rivals or conduct occasional 
assassinations and city subversions. You 
can e\'eii worm j our spies into enemj’ 
confidence; if they happen to be ])roniol- 
cd to general status, \ou could e\’cn take 
control of cncmj’ cities and amiics. 

1 was also im])rcssed b\’ the game’s 
dijilomacj'. All kingdoms have a reputa- 
tion score, which is affected by their 
deeds versus their citiz.cns and other 
kingdoms, ’ihe diplomacy options arc 
verj' robust. You can enter into trade, 
friendh; or alliance treaties; declare war 
on enemy kingdoms: demand or pay 
tribute; and unif\’ dLsparale stalas by pur- 
clia.sing a ri\ <il king’s crown. The best 


thing about this diplomacy 
model is that it works, 'Flie 
A1 doesn’t reject treaties 
out of hand, Tlicy will even 
take the initiative to ally 
w'ith you or to open trade 
dialogue. 

IT DOESN'T STOP 

'Uiere are even more 
aspects of (he gameplay to 
digest. For one, getting 
independent villages io join 
you is dependent upon 
their nationality, your king’s 
nationality, your reputation, 
and the standard of living 
you ))romise them (mea- 
sured by the goods you can 
sell them at market). Obviously, people 
are more likely lo join rulers who are like 
themselves. Mowever, you can force vil- 
lages into siibmis.sion through strength of 
amis or grants of money. Once you gain 
a village’s loyally, though, you'll Iiavc to 
keep it by giving yet more grants and 
ensuring that the villagers are employed 
and happy. 

There is even a fantasy aspect to the 
game, as monster lairs dot the land- 
scape. 1 f you can defeat the enemies 
w'ithin, you gain treasure and scrolls of 
power. There arc ses'cn scrolls, one for 
each nationality, which are used to 
build Scats of Power, 13y getting each 
nationality to pray at its Seal of Power, 
you can summon that nationality’s 
god— a superpowerfiil unit that can 
confer some impressive boniuscs on 
your kingdom. 

You’ll stumiile se\-eral times before 
j'ou can learn to walk in this game. You 
could also learn a thing or two from the 
;\1. It is fairly smart, and quite clever with 
its use of spies. 1 lowever, I did notice 
that early in the game it proved suscepti- 
ble to'gnint nishe.s." 

FALL OF THE EMPIRE 

WTiile St-AI'N KiNCDONiS is \sondcr- 
fully deep, it does suffer some minor 
problems. The biggest of those is its 
interface. Although you can get brief 
help after \ oii hold jour cursor over an 
item for several seconds, the icons and 
information setup aren’t inliiilivc (many 
icons look alike, and some don’t exactly 
illustrate the command). I’m a big fan of 
instant text explanation, such as what 


ccw 


MARCH 1998 




Starring William Shatncr, Walter Koenig 

AND SPECIAL APPEARANCE BV BEORGE TaKEI 
IN THEIR LEGENDARY ROLES OF BAFTAIN KIRK, 

Commander Chekdv and Captain Sulu 


Sta rf leGf Ae^emyi 

I MissiqhjPach | 

ST^TREK: Pinball 


.'^tarfIlggt 

« ACADEMY 


i Grade A it: It goes where 

Star Trek game has gone before 

nr' 


PC Games 

Rated 9.0 "Starfleet Academy goes where no 

Star Trek game has gone before... an excellent game" 

— Ultra Game Play,ers , 

4 out of 5 stars '"It Warps past any other 
Star Trek game" 

^ — GamerzE'dg.e 

'''' 


mrall Now! 


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COMING SOON FOR PLAYSTATION GAME CONSOLE. 


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Slarllctl Academy Sollwarc 0997 Interplay ProduDlons. Trademark and 'S1997 Paramount Plcliirct. All cIghH rcierved, Star Trek, Slarllccl Academy and rclaled trademarks are trademarks o( Paramount Pklurci. Interplay, the 
Interplay Logo, MaePlay, the MaePlay logo and 'By Gamers, For Gamers.' are trademarks o( Interplay Productions. All rights reserved. PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are trademarks ol Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, 
Ali rights reserved, Windows^ 95 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation, All rights reserved. All other cojsyrlglits and trademarks are the properly oF Ihcrr respective osvners. All rights reserved. 


GO TO #264 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 


STRATEGY/WARGAMES 


REVIEW • SEVEN KINGDOMS 


you see in ACi': Ol’’ EmI’1W '.S or 
\V/\RCR'\ri' II. Move your cursor over 
tlic barracks icon, and you’ll see a line of 
text i\\ the boUoin infonnation bar that 
says "Barracks.” 'lhats all I ask for: just a 
litlle one- or two-word description of 
what I’m clicking on. 

'Fire complexity of the game, com- 
bined with the cumbersome interface, 
also makes this game seem very 



\ 


DIFFERENT STROKES The fact that each nationality 
has its own look is a great touch. Each civilization 
even speaks a little in its native tongue. 


unwieldy at times. Wiile careful study 
of the manual and tutorial will mini- 
mize this feeling, some aspects of the 
game— such as the nuances of cara- 
\’ans that mo\’e from mine to factor)' to 
foreign market— can take several 
games to learn. 1 don’t think difficulty is 
a bad thing for strateg)’ games, but 
SBltN Kingdoms has a steeper 
learning curx’e than many 4x turn- 
based games. 

M\’ other gripes with the game come 
during gameplay. Because units tend to 
bunch up when attacking, its hard to 
select individual units from a mob. It also 
bothered me that there was no easy \va)' 
to tell which niler owned a certain \'il- 
lage. Many times. I'd accept a trade 
treaty w'ith a foreign ailer and then he 
unable to find his city. 1 could clearly sec 
a city’s name, but not its mler (colors did 
help, but including mlcr initials would 
have been better). 

I also would have liked the game 
more if there were greater unit variety. A 
cavalry unit would have added more 
lactieal depth to SiiM‘:N KINGDOMS, 


especially since you eventually will 
engage in combat. 

Although I’ve tried to capture Si'A'l^N 
Kingdoms as best i could in this review, 
I've only scialched the surface of the 
game. I hav en’t seen a game this com- 
plex in a long time. 'Iluits a good thing, 
especially when you consider that this is 
a real-time game. Shnkn KinCDOM.S 
isn’t for cvervonc, but if\ ou enjo)’ deep 
strateg)', 1 recommend you boot this 
game u[) ) ourself, and see just how 
much it has to offer. % 


strategy gamers look- 
ing for a deep, sophisticated real- 
time game. 

^PROS: Excellent tutorial; lots of 
depth; plenty to do; cool fantasy and 
multicultural aspects. 

►CONS: No 
campaign play; 
lack of a sce- 
nario editor; 
unintuitive inter- 
face; game is 
too short. 




\MmULU/ by 3Dfx. 

giUAtriY QtMnry QUioiY qimoiy QUAtiTY qualit,' 

\ We don’t compromise, we don’t lose 
\ features, we don’t sacrifice framerate, 
and most importantly, we never ever 
stop working to be the best. 

With Voodoo^, we’ve 
upped the ante - again. 


Quality. 


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WARHAMMER EPIC 40r000: FINAL LIBERATION • REVIEW AAA A 


Living & Dying 
in 40K Time 


Finally, a Real Warhammer for the Computer 


by Tim Carter 



A mid the a\alanche of real- 
time clones that seem to 
have buried the tactical 
computer strateg)' game 
market, it’s good to see a 
product diat returns to 
where the genre began — 
namcl)’. computerized ver- 
sions of traditional games 
that are, by definition, turn- 

based. W/Mt) lAMMiiR Epic 40,000: Finai, 
l-iBKiU'noN is the latest computer ver- 
sion of the classic tabletop miniatures 
game. /Vs such, it enters the market with 
a length)' background and histor)' that 
newcomers ina)' find somewhat intimi- 
dating. /Vftcr all, if )ou’re piasing a \\^\1 1 
tactical game, the odds are that nou 
ahead)' know w'hat a Tiger tank is and 
you have some idea of how to use it 
against those pesky Shcmians. But when 
vou’re first confronted with a horrie of 


Ork Bovz, \ou ma)' hav e to step back for 
a moment, reassure )'onrself that \'on 
haven't pureluiscd a rap opera of The 
Lord of the Rings, and then delve into 
W\iy lAMMl’lcs online encyclopedia to 
sort things out. 

ORK BOYZ IN DA HOOD 

Ifyou're a dyed-in-lhe-w'ool 
VK'ir/j,7/7?mcTfan, you'll be in heaven 
from the start. Ifyou're new, don’t 
despair; WaiUUMMMR 40K sjjorts an 
easy-to-learn tactical interface. 
WarH'VMMKR is e.ssentialiy a tactical 
wargame, in which yon control platoons 
and squads a la S'lltRL RwitlRRS, albeit 
in a futuristic sci-fi environment. Wliile 
you can create random "quick battles," 
the meat of the g;ime lies in a .sequential 
campaign of .scenarios controlled 
through a strategic map. Between bat- 
tles. VOLI may decide where to attack 


next, or, at higher levels of difficult)', 
respond to enemy countenittacks. 

Tlic interface for \V.\ri LAMMtCR 40K is 
highl)' deris'atis’c of earlier successful SSI 
games, 'llie majority of your screen is 
taken up by a tactical map, while the 
right-hand side contains control buttons 
and a oversiew of the strategic map. 
Many of the commands and design ele- 
ments are highly derivative of other tacti- 
cal games, as WARl-IAMMItR dc])cnds 
largely on its scicncc-fiction universe for 
originality, dhis is by no means a bad 
thing: I found that the games greatest 
.strength was its simplicity, and the free- 
dom this ga\'c me to [skw around with 
the muilitude of original units and unit 
combinations. As with all good tactical 
games, combined operations is a ke)- to 
victory. Depending on the race )'Ou are 
[jlaying, you will ha\'e to deal with radi- 
cally different unit mixes that Mil greatly 
affect your strategy once the battle 
is joined. 


w TECH TOYS IN A SANDBOX Warhammer tabletop miniatures come to life on your comput- 
I er— if you can ignore the dull background graphics. 


AS UNSIGHTLY AS 
ORKISH MUGS 

1 laving .said this, be warned 
that on a purely vLsual le\'cl, 

Wari LAMMI'.R 40K is perhaps the 
ugliest game 1 have .seen in ages. 1 
have alwa)'s been an ads'oeate of 
strong gamej^la)’ o\ er flashv gra[)h- 
ics and design, )'et I can’t help feel- 
ing that a better color palette and 
more cri.sp graphics in the tactical 
battle .screen would luwc helped 
this game a lot. 

This is all the more surprising 
because once you enter the codex 
(W\RI lAMMl'iR’s online reference 
guide), the background images arc 
quite attractive. I lowcver, the text 
that scrolls over these background 
images to prm'idc )ou with hard 


imt 



Price: S49.99 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 90 (P120 
recommended), 16MB 
RAM, 30MB hard-drive 
space, 2x CD-ROM (4x 
recommended), SVGA 
graphics, mouse; sup- 
ports Win 95-compati- 
ble sound cards. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
LAN (2-4 players), 
TCP/iP (2-4 players), 
Hotseat (2-4 players), 
Modem/Serial (2 play- 
ers): 1 CD per player. 
Designer: Holistic 
Publisher: SSI 
Sunnyvale, CA 
(800) 601-7529 
www.ssionline.CQm 


MARCH 1998 


COW 


STRATEGY/WARGAMES 




STRATEGY/WARGAMES 


REVIEW • WARHAMMER EPIC 40,000: FIHAL LIBERATION 


information is blocky, Inirci to read, and 
gcncrall)' ugly. 

’R) in\’ mind, ugliness is no reason not 
to buy a game, and I’m quite certain that 
the market has already seen far loo many 
attractive, \ct mindless, games. But. 
unless you have an Orkish appreciation of 
art, \ ou will [jrobabl)' find combat to be 
block}’ and a tad dark. Once the battle 
begins, ho\vc\’cr, v’ou should soon find 
)'oiir,sdf enjoying (he challenge enough to 
overcome the v isual mess. 

WaiU IAMMKR gives classic boardgame 
fans all of the aspects of turn-based com- 
bat that are so difficult to manage on a 
tablelo]). Reconnaissance and !inc-of- 


sight are crucial, as 
ambushes are fre- 
quent and general!}' 
costly. Supporting 
artillerv’ is handled 
quite well, parlicular- 
Ivwhen it comes to 
defensive opportuni- 
ty fire during the 
encm}’s turn. 'Hie 
\V\RJ-iv\i\ii'.R battle- 
field is a ho.stilc and 
unforgiving place. 
Wdiile }our niassive 
'ntaiiAPv's might be 
able to rumble 



► BAD MOON RISING Here's a good view of the scale in 
Warhammer 40K; The diminutive Bad Moon Boyz (left) charge 
like a wave of ants against a group of Siege Artillery. 


m CAST OF 40,000 


bg-WARHAn^Efi.univ gfse b o^iweird and.:WDnderfel.- it. is ,3Q0lhfir-^n&sitJ 
• -I environment populated by Orts.hiJt-the raec-haHical hodgepodge of the-- 
- i'lap^f8T^warifloagdnng.gre5ffTabbl8W2[R'appearcMilydfe6itcnfQpt its 

I |23l)ii(ieaesque-pisdEcesm-Tb.3td4he4ion4tlS?^ : 

r IheenvTrbnfnentrf thebastfbSifiBgt^s belpwfT^atic 
.l/terftam/nerSis~ vtfill.no doubt spot tiifari^y»spf a newoirter, tP__ 

• add that-these Gbservattona.come-from-the computer-game onlyr-’:~- 



HUf«mTY' - ^ 

• _TRrgoocI guys, as usial^'^^r'' 

IjT-ftrtges-based-oiLoapblsq^pJvra - 

; ..Earth,’ tte.bu man an^ tends fo look and _ 
feel muchjte an advanced version rtf the 
- Tirmies'OtatweTitfyio^ 

I . . TnfanbyJs.pjdrWsoimw^tat .vul^ “ 

' to-fire; yourliiks ^ un^ralfSed;. and ydu_;_^ 

• tend'> h^-decenfamiirry' and aif 
,.port.-^^strik»^.by thejn^-o^-be-called-T-, 

■ - -in tom'ofi-the-map-but. are-flot diiectiy-. - 

• controlied-by thepl^r Yourmito^^ 

• ■•typFunitsprovrrfe ciosersupport and offer " • 

.. .botbfte.behefits.ofjielicoBfiis.0DBds..ofmob|!e..firepow^an3'their:drciwi)acks.(yuR-,' 
nerabilify).rAnyone schooled in the U.S. ccncept of Air/Land Battle (as seen through a 
I -IvanebTOf bfliei'SS. games, mosEno^ySife^SvtTHHts 3),;should.dD weL ... .. . 

thJ 

A bizarre mishmash of unitSIhat vary ty Oi^lan:z^ sound like a cross 
. ^iiwsert gangstaiairand Dn- Seass.-6amers:l0Ql^ngiora'compl6teiy'different chai- 
.!enge,can..take.up.;the..Q!i(ish-bannersnd .. . 
charge headlong at the better organized and 
mam@nSJim'peria)-fofces with'awild"' •• 
assbrtment-.df light,- mobile units backed by • ■ 
dangerous In^^uy 'My favorites include^ 
the Bqwibufna an.d .the'Gp&masha,. both 
:^designated’as'“higmspeed.assautt battle 
L.-bug9ysJ!-lf--battle-bugfflrs -battle beefles ina . 
■-T-botfle... Never mind'. 



strnight into the henrl of the enemy’s 
(lefen.ses wilhonl risk of immediate death 
(at least for a while), most of your other 
forces will have lo he very careful in how 
they move and use cover if they arc to 
.succeed. In particular, it doesn’t pay to be 
cavalier with your infantry, and the game 
docs a good ioh of creating a sense of loss 
when one of your infautr}niien screams 
and goes down. 

WaRI l.•\\IMI•■.R dOKcxccls at forcing you 
to trade off between speed and risk, and 
also to make the complementary trade 
helwcen moving weak units on their ouii 
or loading them into annored carriers 
(and .so rLsking a true catastrophe if the 
carrier is hit). 

Pcrsonall}', 1 have alwavs thought that 
tactical wargames are, by definition, 
somewhat limited in their scope. Tlie 
game designers must alwavs strive to add 
as many variables as possible to compen- 
sate for the lack of big decision-making 
power that can lead lo repetitions play. 
The depth of the WarI l/VMMRR universe 
helps out a lot in this respect, as the range 
of weapons, enemies, and allies — along 
with terrain and diverse scenarios — gives 
you a prel ty decent mix of toys to phi}' 
with and different places in which lo jMa}' 
Other than belter graphics, what more 
could you ask for? ^ 


^APPEAL: For fans of Warhammer 
or anyone who wants a good tactical 
game. 



ccw 


MARCH 1996 




’It's great, maybe the best AI Fve ever played against." 
'''HOffiSTREnMlMMIKN'' 

, G^FIRST 95% Rating 


#1 Ranked Strategy Game 


"...melds real-time action, strategic depth, 
and historical veracity into one terrific' • 
experience." 

PC GAMER > ^ i 

Editor’s CMicc 's'*: “* "i ; 


Download a free GETTYSBURG! demo. VIsitour web^ at 
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Ambushes. Barrages. Conflagrations. 
It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This! 


Soldiers at War ' is turn-based, squad-level combat with all the heroism and drama of a good World War II 
movie! Lead a squad of 8 men through a hair-raising campaign of 15 linked scenarios. Experience D-Day 
and the assault on Monte Cassino. Execute commando raids and fight fierce house-to-house battles in 
blasted cities like Anzio and Dresden. An extremely flexible mission editor and 15 extra stand-alone 
missions, many from the German perspective, make the action virtually endless. Four-player multiplay 

network or the internet 

'-M ^th real opponents! ^ 


To Order: Visit your retailer 
or call 1-800-234-3088 
(USA & Canada) with 
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/I MINDSCATE* CONPAnV 

©5997 Strateflic Simulalions, Inc., a Mindscape Company. All riglils reserved. SOLDIERS AT WAR Is a trademark of Straieglc Simulations, Inc. All olher trademarks 
and registered trademarks are the property of ttieir respective holders. Call 1-800-771-3772 for Game Rating Intormation. 









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CIV II: FANTASTIC WORLDS • REVIEW A A A A 


New Civilizations 

New Scenarios and an Enhanced Designer for a Classic Game 



FIRE AND ICE Scenarios run the gamut from fantasy/magic to sci-fi to whimsy. 


by Mike Fay 

icroProse has breathed 
more life into one of (lie 
most celebrated slratcg)' 
games, SiD MkiER'S 
ClVlMZ-MlONlI.Tlie 
ClVll:!'’A.\T\S'nC 
\VoRI,DS expansion .set 
(MicroProse no longer 
has the rights to the 
w ord "Civilization”) 
offers 19 diverse fantasy and sci-fi sce- 
narios. and a greatly enhanced toolkit for 
making your own worlds. Some of the 
scenarios arc so nmisnal that they give 
Civil a whole new feel. 

SPACESHIPS AND SORCERY 

'Ihc set includes !1 new MicroProse 
scenarios and 8 “Pest of the Net” scenar- 
ios, culled from the dozens ai’ailabie on 
the liUerncl. Wliile the Cl\' II engine is 
used, many game aspects are changed, 
including unit properties, graphics, 
sounds, the research tree, and e\’en ter- 
rain graphics and functionalih'. 'Ihc 
results are rich and novel. Tlic Jules 
Verne retro sci-fi scenario has quaint 
Mctorian-cra units and wacky discover- 
ies from an age when exploration, intel- 
lect, and .science could tame the great 
unknown. Contrast that to theX-COM 
scenario, which has almost no research 
or production — ju.st a battalion of 


marines plunked down on Mars to exter- 
minate an alien infestation. A number of 
the scenarios start with plenty of lech- 
nolog)' alrcad)' rcvsearchcd and man\’ 
units alread)’ placed. MicroProse put a 
lot of work into its Midgard fantasy sce- 
nario, as well as its M.vs'l t'.it OK Oiuox 
and i\ Ixs'tl'.lt Oi'' M.\(at; ones. Other sce- 
narios feature dinosaurs, a medieval 
Japan .setting, American Indian tribc.s, a 
battle of the sexes, an intere.sling micro- 
biology .setting w'ith “cultural” advance- 
ments like cilia, and even an alternate 
world populated by teddy l)ears. 

EXPANDED TOOLKIT 

If you're not into fantasy or .sci-fi, you 
miglit still waul ihc enhanced scenario 
toolkit, ll cos'crs loLs 
ofgn)und: unis'crsal 
effects, event triggers, 
city improvements, 
tcch advances, terrain 
properties and 
tribe properties. You 
can ea.sily edit unit 
[rroperties and indi- 
vidual unit sounds via 
meniLs. And graphics 
can be edited easily 
for units, city 
improvements, tech 
advances, terrain, and 
cities, 'llrerc are slots 
for 8 new units and 


up to 100 tccii advances. ’Hie macro lan- 
guage has been expanded, with better 
handles on detecting who did what to 
whom, and the C^' 11: 1 AV menu-driven 
es'cnts editor now has 11) triggers and 11 
actions. Scenarios designed by users jirior 
to Ci\ 11: !AV will work, although they 
might require minor modifications. 

'Ilic improved toolkit is not perfect, 
'lire effects of Wonders of the Wbrld still 
can’t be changed (although they can be 
renamed and reassigned). Some of the 
text and hclj) di.s[riay,s in modified scenar- 
ios look unpoli.shcd, and not all graphics 
can be changed. Don’t be surprised if the 
steamy Mg)'p(ian messenger hails )'0U on 
the frigid plains of an icy planet. 

Civ 11: hAVlAS-nc Woiti.o-S is the 
obs’ious next adv ance for ans bodv wlio 
wants to be more "civilized." If you like 
sci-fi or fantas)' scenarios, or \ou want to 
edit new world.s, this is a must-have 
expaasion pack. % 

^APPEAL: Civ II fans; turn-based 
strategy gamers with a taste for 
fantasy or sci-fi. 

^PROS: Rich fantasy/sci-fi scenar- 


los; major 
design-kit 
enhancement. 

M 

A 

^CONS: Still Civ 

II at its core; 


t 

pleteiy compre- 
hensive. 

M 

At 



► BUILD YOUR OWN WORLD Tired Of the same old 
4x game? Dance to your own tune with the enhanced 
toolkit. 





Price: S29.99 
System Requirements: 
486/33, Windows 3.1 
or Win 95. SMB RAM. 
50MB hard-drive space, 
2x CD-ROM drive, 
Windows-compatible 
mouse and sound 
card, Sid Meier's 
Civilization II. 

3D Support; None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
None, 

Designer: MicroProse 
Puhlisher: MicroProse 
Alameda, CA 
(510) 864-4550 

www.microprose.com 


MARCH 199B 


ccw 


STRATEGY/WAR6AMES 




STRATEGY/WARGAMCS 


-k-k-k 


REVIEW • EARTH 2140 




Price: $39.95 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 90. Windows 95 
or DOS 6.x, 16MB RAM, 
30MB hard-drive space, 
1MB SVGA-graphics card, 
2x CD-ROM drive, mouse; 
supports most major 
sound cards. 
3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: LAN 
(2-6 players); 
1 CD per player. 
Designer: TopWare 
Publisher: Interplay 
Irvine, CA 
(714) 553-6655 
www.interplay.com 


Yesterday’s 

Interplay Delivers Too Little, Too Late 



P BEEN THERE, DONE THAT Earth 2140 is a good-looking 1996 game, but today, it just 
I seems to be a competent Red Alert clone. 


by Martin E. Cirulis 

ou know you’re in Irou- 
bie witli today’s liigli- 
expectation consumers 
wlicn the biggest l)rag 
on your box is “Stunning 
16-bit color graplnc-s.” 
'Hie problem is even 
worse when your game 
isaCOMM-VsniS: 
Conquer done and 
you’re trying to sell it on tho.se crowded 
Christmas shelves. Ibis is the unfortu- 
nate situation facing Intcr|)lays [xMt'l 1 1 
2H0. /\nd u'hilc it turns out there is more 
to this game than nice graphics, the ugly 
Irulh is that the real-time world pa.ssed 
this title by before it even got out of its 
development cycle. 

SAME AS IT EVER WAS 

'lire bluest hurdle lv\RTl 1 2H0 facc.s 
is how to get gamers to want to play yet 
another version of C&C — though to be 
fair, we are looking at a R)-;d Ai .E.KT-cra 
done here. Earth is a ra\'aged w'asteland 
with onl)’ t\s'o great powers left: T he 
Eurasian Dvaiash' and (he Union of 
Civilized States. Neither has anything 
better to do than argue about how to fur- 
ther rape what is left of the planets 


re.sources. 1 su[)pose you could consider 
ibis slighlly illogical .setup a glimpse into 
a noncnvironmcnlal future. 

I'rom here it’s the same old build, mine, 
and demolish gamcpiay.'l herds themsua! 
mix of 0 ])en-cnded base-building scenar- 
ios sprinkled with c|ucst missions, as well 
as two eam]>aigns with barc-bones stories. 
1 lowcs er, the scenarios and maps them- 
.sehes are small and tedious, instead of 
wide-open and iin ohing. If all of this 
.seems no\ el to vou. let me be tlic first to 
welcome you to our|)lanet. 

'ihe unils themselves arc varied and 
interesting, with the UCS concentrating 
on ’mcch-type units and tlic ED sticking 
mainly to good old-fashioned tanks. Tlie 
devdo])crs ha\ c also done some good 
things with the basic combat model, 



OLD-SCHOOL PLAY Scenario design in 
Earth 2140 seems tedious and too 
limited. 



News 


making buildings vulnerable In enemy 
occupation, for example. This means 
you have to consider garrisoning troo]).s 
//rs/c/c vital structures, as well as outside. 
Units in EarTI 1 2M0 arc also more 
inclined to roam than their counterparts 
in other games, and this is both good and 
bad. Since fire is an important combat 
effect, it’s nice to sec unils .smart enough 
to get awa)' from spreading flames. 
(Tliough it might ha\’e been nice to sec 
a movement Ai smart enough to drive 
around an ahead)' burning .square in a 
unit’s path.) 

'Ihe downside is that even ifyoii set 
your units to a purely defensive posture, 
they tend to wander about, ^()u eud up 
spending a lot of effort herding units 
back into the defensive positions )'ou .set 
for them. Another glitch is that your 
unils w'ill kindly move out of the way lo 
let an enemy unit past. 

HISTORY LESSON 

'Ihcre are interesting touches .sprin- 
kled throughout Emlu 1 2140. but the sad 
truth is this: 'Ihere just isn’t enough origi- 
nality here to rai.se this title above medi- 
ocrit)’. I he .standards of real-time gam- 
ing .set by such games as D.\RK R|';|{:n 
and'I’O'lt'M.ANNiini.AnoN have left a 
game like this behind. 'Ihese da)^, \'ou 
can get away with lacking 3D terrain or 
a construction kit— but not both. 

IfEARMl 2140 had been released 
before lll'iD Aucici; it \sould iia\'c been 
revolutionar)’. But today, it seems only like 
a well-done clone bound to be lost amid 
the horde of C&C copycats. % 

^APPEAL: New players who have 
yet to play C&C. 

^PROS: Nice graphics; interesting 
units; adequate AI. 

^CONS: Nothing to raise it above 
the level of last 
year’s C&C 
clones; weak 
scenarios and 
maps; some 
questionable 
path finding. 





ccw 


MARCH 1996 



The biggest, baddest, ugliest toy on the block. 

And you can be the first one on your block to get one. Find the five Voodoo^ ads from 
3Dfx Interactive within this issue (only) and identify the game each character represents. 
Write the game titles in any order in the appropriate space on the attached business 
reply card and mail In to enter.* 



5 FIRST PRIZES: A 3D graphic accelerator board featuring the incredible 
new Voodoo^ chipset - the Demon Speed has found a home. This board will play the 
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4 SECOND PRIZES: Four complete Voodoo^-optimized games from four of the top 
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100 THIRD PRIZES: A Voodoo T-shirt direct from 3D6[. 

The exclusive 3D&( Interactive T-shirt for the Voodoo family of 
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Ask your retailer for a 3D graphic accelerator featuring 3Dfx's Voodoo’ chipset - the new turbo-speed 
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• Follow the directions below to send without the pre-printed business reply card. 

Sweepstakes Rules; 

1 . ffo Purchase Necessary: To enter, mail a standard size postcard containing name, address, and phone 
number to Voodoo’ Sweepstakes, 3Dlx Interactive, Box V2. 4435 Fortran Drive, San Jose, CA 95134. 
No purchase or payment of any money is necessary to enter. One entry per tiousehold. All entries must 
be handwritten. Mechanically reproduced entries will not be accepted. Entries must be received by April 
15, 1998. All entries become exclusive property of Sponsor and v/ill not be acknowledged or returnetl- 
Sponsor assumes no responslblli^ lor lost, mutilated, late, Illegible, incomplete, postage-due, or misdi- 
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2. Prizes: 5 First Prizes. Rrst Prize winners receive one (1) 30 graphic acceleralor board featuring 
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and/or Eidos all optimized for Voodoo’ gameplay. Rrst Prize has an approximate retail value oi S240.00. 
too Third Prizes: Third Prize winners wilt receive one (1) 3D!x Voodoo T-shirl. Third Prize has an approx- 
imate retail value of $20. Winners will be determined by a random drawing trom all valid entries received 
by 30fx Interactive whose decisions are final. Drawing to be held on or about April 30. 1998. All prizes 
v/lll be awarded. All prize winners will be nolifled by mall. Prize(s) are non-transferable. No substitutions 
of prtze(s) are allowed, except at the option ot Sponsor should the featured prize(s) become unavailable. 

3. Odds of Winning; The odds of winning vdll be determined by rrumber of valid entries received. 


4. Eligibility: Contest open to residents of United States and Canada. Void In Rhode Island and Quebec. 
Non-compliance with the time parameters contained herein or return of any prize/prize notification as 
undeliverable will result In disqualification and an alternate vdnner will be selected. Winners or their legal 
guardians shall sign an affidavit of eligibility/release of liablllty/prize acceptance within 30 days of receipt 
Of forfeit prize. By acceptance ol prize, winnerfs) agree to the use ol their name and/or likeness lor pur- 
poses of advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. 
Employees ol 3Dfx Interactive, Diamond Multimedia. Creative Labs, Elecironic Arts, Activision, Interplay, 
Eidos, 2llf-Davls and their respective alfillates are not eligible. Neither 3Dlx Interactive, Zitl-Oavis nor 
their respective atfillales, subsidiaries, divisions, or related companies are responsible for any damages, 
taxes, or expenses that consumers might incur as a result of this contest or receipt ol prize. Winners 
accepting prizes agree that all prizes are av/arded on the condition that 3Dlx Interactive, Zitl-Davis and 
their agents, representatives, and employees wilt have no liability whatsoever lor any injuries, losses, or 
damages ot any kind resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of the prizes. 

5. Winners List: For a list of winners, send a stamped, sell-addressed envelope to ‘Voodoo’ 
Sweepstakes WinnersLIsr.SDIxInteractive, Box V2. 4435 Fortran Drive. San Jose, CA 95134. Requests 
for winners lists must be received by May 15, 1998. Allow 4 weeks for delivery of winners list. 

6. Restrictions: Void v/here prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, state and local regulations apply. 

7. Sponsors: This sweepstakes is sponsored solely by 30tx Interactive, Inc. 


Copyright© 1997 30tx Interactive, Inc. TheSOIx Interactive logo and Voodoo’ are trademarks ol3Dfx Interactive, Inc. Ail rights reserved. 
. . All other trademarks and trade names arc the property ot their respective owners. 

.. . GO TO 1/125 @ www.comQutersaminp.com/infolink 




STRATEGY/WARGAMES 


REVIEW • POLITIKA 






Price: S49,99 
System Requirements; 
Pentium 100 (133 recom- 
mended). 16MB RAM, 
20MB hard-drive space, 
Windows 95, 256-color 
SVGA mode, Sound 
Blaster 16-compatibIe 
sound card- 
3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Modem (2 players), LAN, 
Internet (2-8 players); 

1 CD per player. 
Designer: Red Storm 
Entertainment 
Publisher: Mindscape 
Novato, CA 
(415) 897-9900 
www.minciscape.com 


Hie Great 
Bland Menace 


Clancy’s Strategy Debut Is Long on Boredom and Short on Gameplay 


by Martin E. Cirulis 

T wo l!iing.s arc ap|)arcnt after 
your first hour of playing 
PO[.rnK'V 'flic first is that 
'ibni Clancy is really into 
himself, and the second is 
that there are caiintlc,s.s 
other boardgainc,s more 
worthy of being ported to 
the PC. What we have here 
is a competent, yet unin- 
spired, wargame tliat ranks somewhere 
between liisk and A\is :ind Allies in 
terms of complexity, bul far below either 
when it comes to plawabilify. 


THE TOM SHOW 

Tlie first hurdle in this game is getting 
past the 4,732 ases of'lbm Clancy's 
name, the paperback no\'cl by the 
techno-thriller master himself, and the 
15 minutes of fake news footage featur- 
ing Clancy muttering about Ru-ssian 
power-play politics following Boris 
Yeltsin’s death. Should you survive this 
last ordeal, you find yourself facing a 
nice map of Russia divided into a bunch 
of provinces tagged with colored mark- 
ers representing the influence of the 
eight factions smuggling for control. 

You begin play by [)lacing \'our two 
representatives {cute little i\‘loiiupuly-s[y\t 
icons) on the board. 'Iliesc represent tlie 
focus of your political inlcre.st. Tire basic 
point of the game is to be the one with the 
most markers and money at the end of a 
preset number of turns. You gain markers 
by “attacking” your opponents’ colors 
through a process of“buying” dice with 
cash or cards, and then rolling those dice. 
Roll high and the targeted o[)[)oncnts 
marker turns to your color. If your victim 
rolls higher, nothing ha])pcns cxce[)t 
you’re out some money and cards. 

Tliats pretty much as c-xcitingas it gcLs. 
Each faction has a special ability, such as 



Y OLD GUARD The gameplay in Politika is bone-dry. The pacing is also excruciat- 
I ingly slow, in single- and multipl^r games. 


getting more money or stealing cards, 
which helps to spice things uj). Special 
event cards— a caide simulation of ran- 
dom, realistic, and .sometimes tumultuous 
events— also kee[> things from being too 
straightforward. Unfortunately, in tenns 
of gameplay, thercs not a w'holc lot more 
Ixirc. For Dypio/rracj'fans, this can he a 
fun game of wheeling and dealing over 
single victory' points. /\nyonc else should 
a\oid this coup. 

DON'T PLAY IT AGAIN 

I’OtJilKA may be one of those rare 
cases in which the board version actual- 
ly play's faster than the computer game. 
It makes Adv/WCI'D Civil, iza’I'ION look 
like a click-fest. 1 thought for a while 
that this was only a side effect of play- 
ing an obviously social game in single- 
player mode, Wlien 1 signed onto the 
free RedStorm server, though, I discov- 
ered that multiplayer mode was even 
more tedious. 

Wliile the Internet ]3lay' w'as definitely 
designed to be an organic component of 
the game (rather than a tacked-on after- 


thought). its unfortunate that the source 
material is so dry: Tliere are much belter 
games a\'ailable that co\'er much the 
same territory', and the monotony is only 
com]30i!nded by some bad choices in 
execulion. If the ])resentation were slicker 
and smoother, if the game u'crc filled with 
Russian multimedia treats, and if the 
com]Duter players were given mote j)cr- 
sonaiily', this game could ha\'e been a\er- 
agc. But a]3art from a few’ cute animated 
icons, Poi .rillvX is utterly dexoid of tlie 
character it so desperately needs. *6 


^APPEAL: Diplomacy fans itching 
for a computer game; rabid Tom 
Clancy readers. 

^PROS: Free novel; some shades of 
intriguing wheeling and dealing 
gameplay. 

►CONS: Too 
much introducto- 
ry fluff before 
the game; unex- 
citing gameplay; 
yawningiy slow 
pace. 



ccw 


MARCH 1998 





Where the tlell 


YOU ffet those cards9 


. ■ Hj 


^ M ■■ 




T~.. iSs^^jKjfc 








VimsOFTHS^PLANE^mnCEES' 


THE CRITICS AGREE! 

“MlcroProse's game offers weeks to months of gameplay.” 
Computer Gaming World, June '97 

★ ★★★ 

“Magic: The Gathering is Just what the 
Samite Healer ordered." 

Computer Games Strategy Plus, June '97 

★ ★★★ 

“Magic: The Gathering Is a near-perfect 
translation of the card game." 

PC Magazine, June '97 

★★★★ 

"...hard-core gamers will appreciate the flexibility 
offered in the computer version." 

Newsweek, April '97 


Introducing everything you need 
to play Magic“ over the internet. 

The Original Magic. ..Only Better 

This special edition of Magic: The Gathering* for the 
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multiplayer, an enhanced interface, and cards you can't 
get anywhere else. 


Multiplayer Over the internet 

With ManaLink'“ Magic’s Internet online | 
system, wield your magic against human 
opponents around the world on 
GatheringNet at www.gathering.net. 

New Cards-A Powerful Expansion! 

Get over 80 new cards from Legends* 
and The Dark®. And, if you already own 
Magic: The Gatheringior the PC, you'll 
get a $15 rebate. So, get what it takes 
to reign supreme. Because this time, 
it’s the world you're playing with. 

.^f^jPROSE 

www.microprose.coni 



Available on Windows* 95. 
Visit your local retailer or 
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or night (U.S. or Canada). 



GO TO #152 @ www.computergaming.corn/infolink 


^UClC:■mE<iAJ«ERl^G . 



SPORTS 


if-k-k-k-k REVIEW • CART PRECISION RACING 




CART Precision Racing Is One of the Best Auto-Racing Sims Ever 

by Scott A. May 


Price: $54,95 
System Requirements: 

Pentium 60 (P166 recom- 
mended), Windows 95 or 
NT, 16MB RAM (32MB rec- 
ommended), 30MB hard- 
drive space (100MB recom- 
mended), 2x CD-ROM drive; 
supports MMX and AGP 
technologies, DirectSound- 
compatibie sound cards, 
mouse, and force-feedback 
joysticks: LAN connection 
or modem required for 
head-to-head play, 
3D Support: Direct30-com- 
patible video cards. 
Multiplayer Support: LAN 
(2-8 players, 1 CD per 
player), Internet (1-4 play- 
ers, 1 CD per player). 
Designer: 
Terminal Reality, Inc, 
Publisher: Microsoft 
Redmond. WA 
(206) 882-8080 
www.micrasoft.com 


icrosoft’s coniniiiment 
to Wndows 93 ganie.s 
may be gcmiiiie, but so 
far, other than Ac',!', or 
Empiiu-LS, the publisher 
hasn’t produced much 
to brag about. 'Iliis all 
changes with the 
release of CAR'r 
Pm-'.cisioN 
Racing, an ludy Car simu- 
lator unlike anything else 
you’ve ever seen or played, 

'I'he folks at Papyrus 
(1ndyC/\r Racing 11) and 

Rsygno,sis (PORMIJIA Rl) 
have reason to be worried, 
because CART Ls nothing 
short ofbrillianl, 

Tlie game authentically 
simulates the 1997 PPG 
CART Wodd Series sched- 
ule, encompassing a gruel- 
ing 17-track tour of the bc,st 
courses a\'ailable, dlie tracks 
include dedicated ovals 
(Michigan, Fontana, 

Milwaukee, and Miami), 
elaborate temporary street 
courses (Queensland, 

Detroit, and Vancouver), 
and beautifully landsca])cd 
pcmiancnt road tracks " 

(Laguna Seca, Portland, and Ivlkhart 
I-ake). A full ro,sterof 1997 PPG racing 
teams is also represented, featuring 17 
teams and 26 drivers, complete with 
career stats, highlights, and biographies 
of each driver. 

Race types include Single ILice 
Weekend — ii six-ste[) series of practice 
and qualifying rounds that leads to a 
Sunday race — Full Riice Season, "lest 
Drive, and Quick Race, lutiinidated by 
the track selection? Study the'lhick Info, 
an overhead diagram marked with grid 
positions, gearing, passing, and caution 
zones. Click Track Tour for a cockpit- 
mounted full-motion video tour of the 
actual course in action. 


AUTO SHOP 

Before you punch the ignition button, 
take time to visit the Garage, one of the 
most outstanding features in a game 
filled w'ith pleasures. No other racing sim 
conies close to matching CAR'Ts fully 
stocked tune-up shop. Mere )’ou can 
plan pit strategies, adjust aerod)aiamics 
(Gurney flaps and wing angles), drive 


game was so new' that finding available 
online competition proved impossible, 
so this aspect remains untested. 

CAR'Ts on-track graphics are superb, 
'lliisis— without a doubt— the best- 
looking racing sim on any fonnat. Hie 
game supports, but doesn’t require, 
MMX chipsets and Direcl3D-compati- 
ble accelerated video cards. 1 ran the 


DEAD HEAT Whether you’re matched against an aggressive computer Al or up to eight players, via 
the Internet, CART offers nonstop racing challenges. 


lines, tires (compound, pres.sure, and 
stagger), and suspension (axle, comer, 
and damping), among many others. All 
vehicles enter the garage using preset 
default values for each track. You can 
then make adjustments, take a quick test 
drive, and return to the garage for fine- 
tuning. A Virtual Mechanic, featuring 
advice by real-life CART engineer Nigel 
Benett, can analyze your settings and 
make necessary recommendations. 

Multiplayer options include up to four 
jilaycrs battling head-to-head on the 
Internet — via Microsoft’s free online 
gaming serv'ice, 'Tlie Zone — or up to 
eight players connected to a I AN. 
Unfortunately, as of this writing, the 


game w'ilh both Rendition and Voodoo 
cards, and each perfomied flawlessly. 
Photorealistic prerendered 
backdrops — replete w-ith recognizable 
landmarks, such as the St. Louis 
Arcii — sw'irl about in smooth 360- 
degrcc motion, as the track snakes 
.seamlessly below, creating believable 
ambience. 

CAR'Ts Instant Replay screen is yet 
another highlight, featuring 12 camera 
view's (each of w'hich you can manually 
zoon I or rotate), VCR-.st)'le controls, and 
eight types of Pi race analysis graphs. 

Use these graj^hs to study your racing 
habits, such as lateral/inline acceleration, 
steering angle, braking, throttling, engine 


ccw 


MARCH 1998 



CART PRECISION RACING • REVIEW 



speed, and gearing. More tlian just tech- 
nical window dressing, tliesc grajjhs will 
actually help you improve your on-track 
perfonnancc. 

CHROME WHEELED 

This game is so full of subtle graphical 
treats, it's difficult to know w'herc to 
begin. As j'our vehicle eats up the 
asphalt, trackside objects such as trees 
and buildings gradually materialize — -as 
oppo.sed to suddenly popping up, as in 
almost all other racing sims — showcas- 
ing the 3D card’s transparency effects. 
And fake a gander at your race in instant 
replay, using the“racc” \'iew camera. Hie 
combination of 3D perspectisc correc- 
tion and surround sound stereo will 
make jou think scu’re watching a \-ideo 
clip from an actual race. Outstanding! 

High-perfonnance stereo surround 
sounds also play a big part in OVRTs 
h\pcr-realism. Slide off the track and 
you’ll hear the squlshy .sound of slick tires 
on wet grass. Jam an opponent or kiss 
the retaining w’all too liard and you’ll 
hear the sickening sound of metal scraj>- 
ing the ground or rubbing against \our 
fires. Even off-track noise is presented 
with sensational Doppler stereo effects. 
The only thing missing is the annoying 
chatter of a race announcer, a feature 
most serious Indy Car fans would turn 
offan\way. 

Now for an anno\'ance; Microsoft’s 
minimum requirements for the game 
list a Pentium 60, but recommend a 
P166. That’s quite a jump. 1 tested the 
game on a POO, and the frame rate sput- 
tered and control was taxing, even with 
a 3D s’ideo card. To achieve decent ani- 


mation, I had to scriouslv dumb down 
the grapiiics by removing all back- 
grounds, trackside objects, special 
effects, and vehicle detail. On the high- 
er end, I then ran the game on my P235 
MMX machine with Monster 3D video 
card, 'line frame rate burned off the 
charts, even w-ith all graphic and sound 
details set to max. ’Hie moral here; 
CART is designed for high-perfor- 
mance machine.s, period. If your system 
is less than capable, this will be a fnis- 
trating experience. If you’ve got the 
horsepower, [Drcparc to be blowii awa\' 
by one of the speediest, most graphical- 
ly rich racing sims on the market. 

CHECKERED FLAG 

Controls can be set to keyboard, jo)- 
stick, gamepad, or steering wheel, with 
special support 
for force-feed- 
back sticks. 
Again, control 
res[)onsivene.ss is 
directly related 
to machine 
speed. On a 
slow' system, 
there's a mad- 
dening delay 
between steer- 
ing response and 
on-screen 
action, w'bicb 
typically .sends 
your vehicle 


swening all over the track. On a high- 
end system, control is cris]) and light. A 
plethora of dri\ing aids are at your dis- 
posal, depending on your skill .setting, 
including autobrakc, spin correction, 
cued shifting, traction control, and dri- 
ving cones. 

Ihcrc are also realism settings 
designed to create a more authentic dri- 
ving axpcricncc, including tire wear, 
crash damage, fuel consumption, and 
temperature effects. My personal 
favorite is head ]3anning, available in 
cockpit view; which simulates the turn of 
a driver’s head as he enters a curve. 'Hie 
camera shifts .slightly off-center, into the 
turn, amplifying the feeling of actually 
being in the car. Wdiat’s truly amazing is 
that no one had thought of this before. 

Overall, the verdict on this game is a 
simple one; l^acked with features, options, 
aird the widest v'aricty of tracks found in 
any PC racing sim, Microsoft’s C/\RT 
PltECIStON R\CING (]ualifie.s as the best 
giime of iLs type ever produced. % 


Intermediate to advanced 
IndyCar-style racing fans, 
vraos: Stunning graphics; support 
for 3D-accelerated video; excellent 
frame rate; aggres- 
sive computer Al; 
driving school; 
options galore. 

^COHS: Long load 
times; steep sys- 
tem requirements. 





Be sure to check out 
Microsott's Cart 
Precision Racing on 
this month’s 
CG-ROM. 


SPORTS 




SPORTS 




REVIEW • MADDEH KFL 98 


r 



Price: S49.95 
System Requirements: 

Windows 95, Pentium 133, 
75M8 hard-drive space, 
16MB RAM, 4x CD-ROM 
drive. High-color 1MB 
Direct Draw-compatible 
video card, DirectX 5,0- 
compatible sound card, 
mouse. Supports most 
popular gamepads. 
3D Support: 3Dfx (via 
downloadable patch only) 
Multiplayer Support: 
LAN, modem, serial con- 
nection (2 players, 1 CD 
per player), 
Designer/Publisher: EA 
Sports 
San Mateo, CA 
(650) 571-7171 
www.easports.com 


Underachiever 

The Usual Action Thrills, But Madden Still Misses the Mark 


by Dennis McCauley 

ucslion: \Vliat do Rocket 
Ismail, Rick Mirer, and 
Heath Sluilcr have in com- 
mon? /Vnswer: 'nie}-’re all 
high draft choices, yet not 
one lias Ii\'ed up to the hype 
that preceded hi.s arri\'al on 
the NI''Lsecnc. Wdiilc were 
on the topic, feel free to add 
\iA Sports’ Maddl \ Nh'L 
9S to your list of pro football leldouii.s. 
Sure, it’s a good game that’s fun to play 
and is chock-full of eye candy. But its not 
the buiked-u|) N'lyoiOi^N that gamers had 
been dmoling for. 

liven before last summer’s F,3, sources 
at FA Sports hinted that traditionally 
arcade-oriented MaLIDI'IN would be 
encroaching onto the football sim turf 
normally dominated by Sierras Fron'I' 
PagI'; Si’ori'S; FocnitALi, Pro .scries. 
Anticipation ran accordingly high 
among liard-core ,s|X)rls gamers. 

'I lie tip-off that there would ultimate- 
ly be less to MADlOt'.N than met the eye 
came, oddly enough, in the timing of the 
game’s release. Wdien a developer touts 
major enhancements to an existing sys- 
tem, N'cteran gamers have learned to 
expect delays— .sometimes significant 


delass. Surprisingly, M-VDDRN 98 
shi[D[ied two months ahead of 
schedule — without a number of the 
expected new features. 

BUnON POUNDING 

One thing MUiDK.s: isn’t missing is 
satisfying arcade pla\’. Tlie action ele- 
ments are quite challenging, especially 
at the/\ll-Madden level, \\4iile the game 
su]iporls onl) four-button controllers, 
there’s enough happening on die field to 
keep even expert joj'stick jockeys furi- 
ously punching their game pads. It takes 
practice to be competitive at M/\DDEN 
98, Punting is difficult to master, as is 
touch passing, w'hich allows players to 
zing the ball jiast tight coverage, or loft 
the ])igskin wiien tliey need to air it out. 

Although b'A Sports has made a 
name for itself with eye-pleasing action 
games, M^tDDiCN 98 is not an especially 
imj)re.ssive graphic achievement. In fact, 
the players look very much like those in 
last year’s version, ’flicir animations, 
however, are more fluid. Players make 
diving tackles or high-step into the end 
zone with a realistic stmt. Beginning 
with this year's Win 95 version, E.A 
Sports has cmplo)^cd an animation 


technique they’s'e dubbed “ V-l^oly.” llie 
English translation is that the plajers are 
compri.sed ofmultiple sprites, rather 
than the large, attractive polygons found 
in other EA products, such asTRiPt.R 
PL'M’ 98, NBA iMi 98, and NHL 98. 

V-Poly works well enough, but it just 
doesn’t compare to pla)er graphics in tiic 
rest of the EfV Sports line. One tiling that 
is impressise about iVl/XDDENs graphics is 
the rendering of the stadiums. Finally, 
football fans have an opportunity to pla)' 
in authentic venues. Wliilc M^\DDEN 
shi[iped without 3D hardw-are support, a 
subsequent patch added 3Dfx support, as 
well as additional graphical enhance- 
ments, including on-screen player names. 

'llie camera angles in Madd1'.N 98 are 
rather limited, and feature only sideline, 
end zone, or blimp views, which can be 
set to dynamically track the action. Tliis, 
however, causes no headaches in the 
game, since the three view's function 
well. In the just-for-fun department, an 
authentic-looking To[)ps football card 
pops up when a player makes a big play 
or reaches a statistical milestone, 

FUNNY NUMBERS 

M.'\DDRN 98 offers league and general 
manager utilities that seem to be part of 
its would-be move into sim territory. 'Hie 
transition would be more news-worthy, 
however, if the utilities worked better, 
Tlie General Manager feature, for 
e.\ample, allows trading, but on!)- of a 
brain-damaged x'ariefy in which your 
opponents offer a mirror image of the 
plax ers \' 0 u dangle as trade bait. Put )our 
backup quarterback on tlie block, for 
example, and your opponenLs offer )ou 
theirs in return. Its pretty tough to 
improx'e ) our club trading this wa)'. 
’Theres no free-agent pool, either, 
although the pla}'er ratings do list 
salaries. Am 1 smelling a salary cap fea- 
ture in next years version? Let’s hope so! 

League play options include simulating 
tlie 1997 NFL season or creating a small- 
er league w'itli a randomly generated 





HADDEH HFL 98 • REVIEW 




scliediile. CPU-sinimed 
games zip by c[iiickl)’, and 
generate stats that are fairly 
realistic. Unfortiinalely, 

MnDDENs statistical presen- 
tation leaves much to be 
desired. Its a chore to navi- 
gate your uoy to the stats \ou 
want, and when )ou final!}' 
get there the presentation is 
nonstandard. Wliilc team 
stats are available at the 
league screen, you have to 
read the manual to know that 
the player stats can oiily be 
found at the franchise screen. 

Once there, you'll have to 
endure several mouse clicks 
to find such important stats as 
rushing attempts or yards- 
pcr-carry for ninning backs; 
completion percentages for 
quarterbacks; or even recep- 
tions for reccis'crs. Ibis was 
an unexpected fumble for a 
game with simlike a.spirations. 

M/\dden 98’s sound is a 
mixed bag. 'Ilicrc are some 
real ear-])leasers, such as the 
crowd correctl}' booing, 
cheering, or shouting“dce- 
fense" in res])onse to the 
game situation. Of course, 

John Maddens witty gridiron 
insights are always a wel- 
come addition. On the other * 
hand, play-by-play man Pat Summeraii 
brings little of note. Summeralls gifts as a 
broadcaster simply don't shine through. 
Occasional errors also occur, causing 
misstatements of the game situation. 
Most annoying, however, arc the contact 
sounds — tlrcsc sound more like some- 
one tumbling down a flight of stairs. Ibe 
good news is that )Oii can toggle off the 
sounds that offend the ear, and keep the 
ones that don’t. 

THE PLAY'S THE THING 

h'A Sports has s[)ent a great deal of 
energy trumpeting the "Liquid AI” in 
M,\i5DEN 98. Tlie term refers to an 
enhanced player ability to read and react 
to pla}’s, and not merely follow a set of 
pre-programmed instnictions. \\1iile it’s 
difficult to gauge the oserall effectis'c- 
ne.ss of the new Al, pla} ers do seem to 
move aulhenticall}'. Tlie Al problems 
that troubled me, howes'er, related 


DUMBER THAN OAVIS? Madden 98's General Manager feature is 
marred by a brain-dead trade feature. 


STEAMIN' RICE Topps football cards provide nice eye candy when 
pl^rs hit statistical milestones or make big plays. 


primarily to offensive play-calling, and 
the tendency of quarterbacks — even 
ver}' good quarterbacks — to throw into 
triple- and quadruple-coverage. 

As an example, during a Chiefs- 
Dolphins game, the CPU-controlled 
Fish, trailing by two TDs well into tlie 
fourth quarter, went for it on 4th-and-18. 
No problem there. Ignoring the strong 
riglit arm of one Dan Marino, however, 
lire computer called a draw' play— and 
got stuffed. Tlie EA Sports team also 
needs to address a work stoppage of sorts 
on the part of ninning backs, who occa- 
sionally freeze after taking a hand-off. 
Tlie referees may also be on strike, since 
penalt)' calls seem rare. 

Pla}' selection in N'LxDDEN is sendee- 
able, but suffers from the lack of a play 
design utility. With both Sierra’s FitONT 
Pace and OT Sports’ MON'D.W Nictri' 
Foo imi, offering substantial play- 
design features, MaDDEN must address 


this area in future versions. 
Multiplayer options at jiress 
time were limited to 
modem, serial, or IPX. A 
patch offering Internet play 
w'as announced, but not yet 
released. 

FEEL THE POWER 

Despite some w'arts, 
M/\DDi''N 98 is an enjoy- 
able game. Tlie smooth 
player animations and 
good-looking stadiums add 
a lot to the pro football feel. 
There’s an incredible selec- 
tion of historical NFL and 
AFL teams tliats sure to 
please the type of hard- 
core fan who salivates at 
the thought of pitting the 
'67 Packers against the ’69 
Namath-led Jets. 

Especially appealing is the 
improved Madden 101, 
w'hich explains sophisticat- 
ed offensive and defensive 
iheor}' in a clear, concise 
manner that, in itself, is 
almost worth the price of 
admission. As a bonus, 
there’s a multimedia scout- 
ing report of each NFL 
team, and brief video histo- 
ries of most clubs as well. 
Aspiring to bridge the 
gap between its own classic arcade ele- 
ments and the sim orientation of its 
more cerebral competition, M/\DDEN 
finds itself hamstrung by weak G.M. 
and stat modules, as well as a lack of 
play-design capability. It’s better than 
last year’s version, but once again, 
M<\DDEN will be watching the playoffs 
from home. 


^APPEAL: Arcade sports gamers; 
NFL history buffs; John Madden fans. 


5: Fluid animation, challenging 
arcade elements, tons of classic 
teams, a chance to learn from the 
master. 

►CONS: Weak 
trade and stat 
modules; no play- 
design utility; curi- 
ous Al play-calling; 
frozen running- 
back bug. 









SPORTS 


AAA 


REVIEW • FRONT PACE SPORTS FOOTBALL PRO '98 



Rebuilding Year 

Sierra’s Storied Franchise Finaliy Falis From Its Lofty Perch 

by Terry Coleman 



Price: $29.95 
System Requirements: 
Pentium 75 (P133 recom- 
mended), Windows 95. 
16MB RAM {32MB recom- 
mended), 150MB hard- 
drive space. SVGA graph- 
ics, 2x CD-ROM (4x CD- 
ROM recommended), 
mouse; supports Win 
95-compatible sound cards 
and joysticks. 
3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
internet, LAN, and Sierra 
Internet Gaming Service (2 
players); 1 CD per player. 
Designer; Synergistic 
Original Front Page 
Football Design: 
Patrick Cook 
Publisher: 
Sierra On-Line, 
Bellevue, WA 
(800) 757-7707 
www.sierra.com 


Enil^of-Year Stats 


1 New Feature 

; Gains Yardage . - 

Penalized for 


1 Radio commentary 

Sounds like radio 

Stalls gameplay 1 

1 CAMS system 

Still-fluid camera work 

Defaults to TV view 1 





vjilJivll Jill 1 III JilfllH 


IMlXQlliaHi 


It’s slightly faster 


CKPlilili 

Still robust 



rilics-conic-latcly would 
have you belie\'e that tlie 
Front Pacii: Foo'iitALL 
line has been in .steady 
decline since the publica- 
tion of the original 
Footbaix Pro. 'Ibis is 

pure, unmitigated crap. 
The series didh\[ its peak 
with FPS Foo'fBALL Pro 
’95, but few gaming franchises ha\’e 
endured quite the roller-coaster ride of 
this one. Last year, FPS FocriUALi. Pro 
'97 did a lot toward redeeming the fran- 
chise — once }'ou installed the inevitable 
second or third patch. Problem is. Sierra 
seems to be in a dowTi cycle with this 
year’s \'ersion, and a patch alone ma)’ not 
be enough to rescue it. 

ILLEGAL MOTION 


3D support would both help the frame 
rate and allow for more intricate 3D 
plajer models. 

/\lso, the interface has inavplicably 
changed for the worse. Sure, its flashier, 
but its also more difficult to get around 
in, esjjecially when you’re playing in 
career mode o\’er the course of sev'eral 


seasons. It’s hard to fathom why this lat- 
est edition — which looks disturbingh’ 
similar to its DOS origins — rcc)uircs so 
much hardw'arc for .so little return: FPS 
Footo\U. Pro ’97, for c.\ample, runs 
better on a P133 than FPS Foom\l,L 
Pro ’98 runs on a P166 MMK Wliy? 

Despite the fact that the developers 
had another year to workout the |3rol)- 
lem, multiplay over I.AN or Internet is 
still a frustrating series of lock-U[),s and 
crashes. Tlie touted arcade mode is still 
far too arcane to ]3ose any challenge to 
Madden ’98. 1 could go on about other 
annoyances (and 1 did: see the accompa- 
nying chart), but .suffice it to say that h’PS 
Foo'iiALL Pro ’98 is best viewed as an 
expansion disk. Wdielher you should buy 
it depends on whether jou want an 
arcade game, such as MADDl'iN, or a seri- 
ous football sim— and if)Ou believe that 
Sierra can finally fix the Internet inulli- 
jjlay problems. As for me, Lve gone back 
to FPS FootoM-L Pro '97— still tlie best 
pigskin simulation on the market. 


^APPEAL: For serious football 
fans only. 

>PROS: Still the best football sim; 
better ball movement; new graphics; 
aggressively 
priced. 

^CONS: New 
interface; crash- 
es/lock'ups, par- 
ticularly in multi- 
play; no 3D hard- 
ware support. 


Tire big question has to be; Wliere’s 
the 3D hardw'are support? After all, 
FPS Football Pro ’98 is a true 
physics-based sim, not a stat-freak 
affair. Tire game engine moves 22 sim- 
ulated players around the screen in 
realtime, and employing some kind of 



► TURF PORTRArrs As this close-up shows (top), FPS Football Pro '98 doesn't look as 
I great during gameplay as the slick interface screen (bottom) would have you, believe. 








iyr r official 
IT VJ^ ML NBVS UPDATE 

The First Pro Sports League for the Computer Gaming Crowd 



, OVER 
$250,000 

IK cak; 

AND ?R1Z£S! 

To Sign Up, 
ox Fox Moxe Info, 
Co To: 

ht'^://wv.'V¥.pff I .^rr 



r>J 5 T>Ji 




muv. 


One of the goals of the PGL has been to create a single, central location for 
top-tier gamers to strut their stuff. Well, we're proud to report that this 
objective was met the day we opened the PGL doors. As quickly as PGL 
officials launched the league's first qualification period, things got truly 
serious; With so much fome, fortune and reputation up for grabs, players 
I immediately got down to the business of 

. J ^ "making the cut" to participate in the PGL 

• / "regular season." No more trash-talking. 

K Very little joking. Nary a "good game" or 

'' i. ~ ' "Whoop! DefConKilla is in da house!" 

i It was all about kill or be killed. The 


iCOrMirMG ro 
'/on yiojiiD 


result? Some of the most intense 


QUAKE and Red Alert action 
EVER. And that was before the 


deathmatches even started! if 


your idea of online gaming is 
no-holds-barred, all-out WAR, 
:;S then the PGL is the place to be. 


Commait^ ConqHer^i.ReitCAl^TW' 


PCL SEASON 2 IS STARTING SOON 

AND AS PROMISED, IT WIU FEATURE 
NEW ACnON AND STRATEGY GAMES AND 
A NEW GAME CATEGORY. REPLACING 
THE ALL’TIME CLASSICS QUAKE AND 
COAAAAAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT WILL BE 
THE HOTTEST NEW nTLES, ZS 

AND 

QUAKE II IS WAY MORE EXTREME THAN 
THE ORIGINAL, WITH EVEN MORE 
DESTRUCTIVE WEAPONS, SPRAWLING 
LEVELS AND JAW-DROPPING GRAPHICS. 
TOTAL ANNIHILATION IS THE MOST 
SOPHISTICATED STRATEGY GAME EVER, 
COMBINING 3 D ARTICULATED BATTLE 
UNITS WITH VIRTUAUY LIMITLESS 
EXPANSION CAPABILITIES. TURNING UP 
THE COMPETITIVE HEAT EVEN FURTHER, 
THE PCL WIU ADD A THDU) CATEGORY IN 
SEASON 2: ACTION TEAMPLAY, WITH 
QUAKE II AS THE 
CATEGORY TITLE. SO 
CO START A CLAN, 
PRAaiCE BY 
YOURSELF, READ UP 
ON THE FUTURE 
HISTORY OF 




PGL action can now be enjoyed on television! "TV.com, the 

nation's highest-rated show dedicated to computers and the 

ii 

Internet, carries a PGL highlight segment twice _ . 

per month. TV.com airs on overi 2 o broad- 

cast television stations throughout the U.S. ! [. 

dj 

Check out the PGL Web site at www.pgl.com i 
for station and show time specifics. 1 

Highlights, standings, league reports and ® 
player interviews - the PGL is on TV - on TV.com. 


•ryr^VL 

WAR - WHATEVER. BUT BE SURE TO 
CHECK OUT WWW.PCL.COM TO GET THE 
LATEST NEWS ON SEASON 2. 




www.pgLcom 


r RANKINGS 

yi>0;AI£ 

I when you establish the first pro 
p sports league for computer gamers, 

L you’ve gotta expect thousands of 
[; players to show up. So how do you 
[| separate the great gamers from the 
[I gc^? By running 'em ait through 
I a rigorous month-long qualifying 
' round and evaluating their sklilx 
I ! every step of the way. Using the most 
sophisticated rankings database 
i on the planet, courtesy of TEN™, 

' the PGL took nearly 1,500 Season I 
L entrants and found the top 256. This 
L isn’t one of those wimpy ranking 
systems that just calculates your 
L "kill-to-death” rate. This is the "two 
- years in the making, two years of 
real-world usage” ranking system 
L that ail the other gaming sites and 
r services have been trying to duplicate. 

Based on the logic and methodology 
I of the U.S. Chess Federation system, 

! the PGL ranking engine screams. With 
every encounter in every match, the 
^ PGL ranking machine considers the 
relative skill level of each opponent, 
i| while re-calculating your rank in 
' real-time. See your position in the 
standings updated instantaneously 

I every time you exit a match. Leaf 
through the reams of background 
data to analyze your opponents’ 

(or your own) strengths, weaknesses, 

■ preferred weapons, and other 
1 tendencies. Or, just gaze enviously at 
K Reptile’s and Bz’s immaculate stats 
!' and dream of the day... 

PGL RANKINGS 

[j Season I 

'I Qualification Period 

i COMMAND a CONQUER: 

b. RED ALERT 


Rank 

Screen Name 

Score 

1 

BI2 

19640 

2 

SOLJA 

19242 

3 

push 

'8974 

U 

N-same 

t8687 

5 

MOBBIN 

18433 

6 

unabomben 

18415 

7 

Havocs 

18396 

8 

Hoggleford 

18395 

9 

WaCnaRd 

18303 

>0 

DeepBlue 

QUAKE 

18287 

Rank 

Screen Name 

Score 

1 

Rept-POST 

20308 

2 

AzraeilB 

20135 

3 

frick 

2001:, 

4 

dmann 

19909 

5 

Bz 

19662 

6 

cabalist 

19489 

7 

graphik 

19106 

8 

Di3-Unholy 

18732 

9 

Rykov_ 

18657 

10 

Kryotekk 

t84,8o 




AMon ^ . 

BJ2 Gun of the ^rategy Set 

B|2 (,ieaf name: Helms] may he in his ecriv leeim, but that hasnt prevented him 

from rising to the “pole position” in the Red Alert division of the PGL’s inaugural season. 
Although he’s only been playing for nine months, Bja has risen through the Red Alert ranks 
on TEN, residing on the top 10 list for some time now. Being seeded #1 in the strategy 
category of the PGL's inaugural season is just his latest gaming accomplishment And with 
four years to go before college rears its ugly head, Bjz stands to enjoy his pro gamer sta- 
tus for some time to come. “I’m not sure how my parents would react if I told them I was 
blowing off college to ‘pursue a pro career’ as a computer gamer,” he laughs. 

ih. far-jLj' pjuidnT sane tuc much, since he’s the one who got BJ2 started in the 
online gaming space. “My dad and I began playing Red Alert last winter from the CD. 
Enclosed in the CD was an advertisement for TEN, and we decided it would be a great 
challenge to test our skills against other opponents around the country,” he says. They 
set up the account, “Bj2,” primarily for Ben to play; his father’s involvement was mostly 
to ensure that TEN was a safe environment for kids. “As we began to play more, my skills 
surpassed my dad’s, and he started dragging my rank down, so I gave him the boot,” 

Bj2 chuckles. 

:n the rr-rTncKi;;:., 8^2 fias hr hands fin' v - i '1 : “I personally prefer 

3-on-3 games of Red Alert on TEN, ‘cause they’re more exciting, with the cooperation and 
coordination necessary to work as a team. But i-on-i matches, like the PGL offers, really 
bring out an individual player’s true skills; you can tell pretty quickly if you’re feeing a strong 
adversary. And in the PGL, nearly every player Is a high-caliber opponent” 

Name: Ben Helms A.K.A: BJ2 Age: 14 Years played: 9 months 
ar - Arch nemesis: Hoggleford or Unabomben 

■ ■ Favorite Partner: My long time TEN friend and partner, LAZYDOC 

1 Preferred Weapons: Russian Heavy Tank 

Controller: Mouse and Keyboard 

P Honors/Awards: Top 10 in Red Alert on TEN for a long while, and 

R. finished number 1 in Red Alert pgl qualification. 

Mk Residence: Tennessee 

y I Connection: 28.8 CPU Speed: 100 mhx 
I Favorite level: Path Beyond and No Escape 
n f Hobbies: Football, Water Skiing, Board War Games 
Favorite Saying: "Bring it on, Boys!!!" 


Reptile Scaliil," ihs P6i us;;.- is;:: 

Ku:.l- p:jSi; aim Rvplil-* -W.-! name: jim has been playing video and computer 

games for nearly three quarters of his life. At twenty-one, he says that amounts to more than 
10,000 hours of electronic gaming in one form or another. But from his vantage point perched 
atop the PGL QUAKE leader board, it looks like time well spent “The PGL came along at the 
perfect time for me, since I’m just hitting my stride in tenns of gaming skills. And since I’m 
still pretty young, I think there’s still room for improvement in my game,” he states. 

iiu accomslishsd of '.fo. u; (coin and card) magic, Reptile has made 

many an opponent disappear in a cloud of smoke and gibbage. “Just like performing magic 
tricks, the key in QUAKE or any action game is to immerse yourself In what you’re doing and 
do It again and again until it becomes almost second nature,” says Reptile. 

01=6 smoiirr rtr iiS . z>-vr,. - : who “made the cut” in 

PGL Season 1 doesn't come as a surprise to the ultra-competitive Reptile. While he doesnt 
think of himself as tire very best (yet), he prides himself on being extremely confident in his 
abilities and aggressive in his approach to the game. “I know tiiere are players out there 
who get more recognition, and are considered better than me. I’m confident enough in my 
abilities that I reh'sh the prospect of playing the best And I truly believe I have a legitimate 
chance to beat anyone, when 1 go on the Internet looldng for my next victim!” 

Name: Jim Oangcil A.K.A: Rept-POST (aka Reptile) Age: 21 Years played: 15 
Preferred Weapons: Lightning Gun and Rocket Launcher 
Controller: Logitech Mouse and Microsoft Keyboard 
Honors/Awards: Top 8 in Red Annihilation Tournament 
Residence: Chatsworth, CA 
Connection; Ti CPU Speed: 266mhz 
Favorite levels: DM6, DM4, DMz 

Hobbies: Close-up Magic, Basketball, Multiplayer Computer Games 
Favorite Saying: Would you like some cheese with that whine?? 






fjQAHD 


The PGl’s governing boaxd is a veritable "who’s who” of T"” 
electronic entertainment industry luminaries. Beginning 
with commissioner Nolan Bushnell, the board's illustrious ' 
members have each been responsible for some of the biggest 
hits that this business has ever seen. Here’s a closer look at _ 
two influential VCl board members; iStiKXBfl 






|Sperry co-founded Westwood 
iV Studios in 1985. His passion for 
« business and his visionary 
leadership continues to keep the company 
at the top of the entertainment software 
industry year after year. Sperry remains 
actively involved in product development 
and has been a key architect and creative 
force behind several product lines including: 
The Eye of the Beholder and Lands of 
Lore fantasy games, The Kyrandia 
Adventures, and the Command & Conquer 
strategy line. 

"The PGL is truly as important for 
the entertainment software industry 
as it is for the gamers themselves. 

The industry needs a 'platform' that 
will raise computer gaming to the 
level of other competitive sports, and 
attract a broad consumer market of 
both participants and spectators. 

I've been in the computer games 
business for a dozen years, and the 
PGL is the most exciting single 
concept I've encountered during 
that time." 

- Brett Sperry 


PETER MOLYNEUX: 

Founder/Managing Director, m 
LIonHead Studios 1^ 

Peter Molyneux is one of the I 
best-known names in the I ’ ^ 

international world of computer 
games. He co-founded Bullfrog ^ : 

Productions in 1987 and single-handedly 
created a new genre of computer games 
(the “god game" with the release of 
Populous). Over the past ten years, 
Molyneux has been responsible for a 
string of immensely popular games 
including Powermonger, Theme Park, 

Magic Carpet and most recently Dungeon 
Keeper. Cumulative sales of his games are 
now approaching the ten million mark 
world-wide. Earlier this year Molyneux left 
Bullfrog Productions to form a new games 
development company, Lionhead Studios. 


Ail 'JULiii Uiid 


There s a whole 
lotta cadi up for ^ 

grabs in the PCL 
How much cash 
exactly? Try 
$30,000* in eachjH| 
duee-month^^^g|np 
season, for a 
ofmore’Uian _ 

$120,000 for the 
first year. Here’s 
how all the loot 
stacks up for 
a Year l: 


Vi/ 


Siihiiitcal 


ij-.tiiti 

coni/olli/s 



- Peter Molyneux 








Running the PGL at the in-the-trenches level is | 
not supposed to be pretty. It's all about officiating, 
monitoring, recording and broadcasting more than 
250 competitive, structured multiplayer matches in 
less than 6 weeks, to determine the top 8 players 
in each game category. Welt, the league's referees 
are earning their pay big-time ''filming" each 
match for posterity, enforcing rules that many 
players have only heard about, and otherwise 
maintaining order in games based on premeditated mass murder. The PGL officials 
are literally working around the clock to create the most democratic environment 
for serious online competition that the 'Net has ever seen. Have you hugged a 
PGL referee today? 

GO TO #089 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 


.■ivhoHei^ 
mv,hms wft/J 




^ Ouiliiiv jD {tfcefmito/JiiJiiy'Jli fyoii) 

liltifeOjgygpAtfrf geane..Mnd mwA mom 
I TOtMs o» cash and prbats 






yy^ii liYr^; ":;yg;iT:; c5j'J'r;i;\ 


yy 


Whether you’re among the 
elite players competing in the 
PGL, or just a casual gamer, 
or only want to watch, the 
one Web site you oughtta 
bookmark is “www.pgl.com,” 
home base for the Professional 
Gamers’ League. Stats, 
standings, schedules, profiles, 
box scores, game summaries, 
downloadable demos, high- 
light reels, scouting films — 
it’s all here. Coming soon: 
the ability to sit back in the 
comfort of your home (or office 
cube) and watch a PGL match 
via streaming video. The PGL 
site was designed with all of 
the PGL audiences in mind. 


from players to spectators. 

PGL players: scout your next 
official match using tons of data 
gathered from your opponents’ 
previous battles. Fans: read 
up on the personal and 
professional sides of PGL stars 
like Thresh, Pookie, DeepBlue 
and Azraeli3. Spectators: 
check the season schedules 
for upcoming PGL matches, 
when and where 
they’ll be aired, pSTTl ^ 
etc. in short, 
catch up on all j { 
things PGL at ' ;TT*'* &—*•-- 
www.pgl.com 2 i :'E 






6 


L jYr'yyyj 


AMDZl 




AMDP 


a WorldNet 


MtloMiiPiiii 


PROFiSSIONAL 
GAMERS' LEAGUES 


www.atLcom/worldnet/ 


www.computergaming.com www.creativelabs.com 


(nB 


CW) 


www.bbn.com www.logitech.com www.rendition.com www.ten.net www.3com.com/x2 www.jazzmm.com 


AMD, the AMD logo, and the combination thereof, and AM0-K6 are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. MMX Is a trademark of Intel Corporation. PGL, Professional Gamers' League, and the 
PGL logo are trademarks of Professional Gamers' League. TEN, Total Entertainment Network, Play It Online, and the TEN logo are trademarks of T E Network, Inc. QUAKE Is a registered trademark 
of Id Software, Inc. The Id Software name and the Id logo are trademarks of Id Software, Inc. Command & Conquer Is a registered trademark and Red Alert Is a trademark of Westwood Studios, Inc. 
US Robotics and the US Robotics logo are registered trademarks and xa and the xz logo are trademarks of 3COM Corporation or Its subsidiaries. Dockers and the Dockers logo design are registered 
trademarks of Levi Strauss & Co. Creative Labs and the Creative Ubs logo are registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. AT&T WoriNet is a re^stered trademark of AT&T. All other logos, 
trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The Professional Gamers' League will be subject to all applicable federal and state laws. The Professional Gamers' 
League reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify this contest in any manner whatsoever (Including, but not limited to rules, prizes, and start date) as well as the right to cancel this 
contest for any reason. 

GO TO #089 @ www.compulergamlng.com/infollnk 









JACK NICKLAUS 5 • REVIEWA AAAA 


Jack Attacks 


Jack Nicklaus 5 Takes Links Head On 



by Scott A. May 


T alk about an unexpected 
surprise. How does 
Accolade follow up Jack 
Nicklaus 4, arguably the 
best golf sini on the planet? 
With Jack Nickl-aus 5, of 
course. But whats unex- 
pected is that JN5 comes so 
close on the heels of 
JN4 — the games were 
released less than seven months 
apart. An even bigger surprise is 
how Accolade made this a great 
game even better, 

Tlie first thing you notice 
about JN5 is its smooth, “we’ve 
got this genre nailed” attitude. 

And indeed they do. A bluesy 
Booker ’Pinspired riff welcomes 
players to an astonishing lineup 
of 10, 18-holc courses, the most 
of anygolf,sini on tlx: market. 

In addition to the links found in 
the previous title, |N5 offers five 
new courses; exotic Hualalai 
llcsort Golf Club in I-lawaii, 

South Shore Golf Club at Lake 
Las Vegas, Irelands Mount 
Juliet Golf Club, and two origi- 
nal designs, Montere)’ Bay and 
Challenge at Danger Bay, both sculpted 
with the built-in course architect. 


proprietary height-mapping mode! used 
in the previous \'ersion of the game. 
Game pliysics have been tweaked to 
allow for uneven and hillside lies, which 
add to the games realism. However, the 
biggest change is tlie addition of polygo- 
nal golfers, who replace the old cut-and- 
paste FMV images. Comprised of 2,000 
polygons with motion-captured anima- 
tion, the new onscreen golfers are utterly 



POLY TECH Accolade's new 2,000-count polygonal golfers deliver 
unprecedented detail and fluid motion. Also new: uneven lies and 
custom camera views. 


BUFFER DUFFERS 

lmpro\ ements to last year’s model arc 
numerous, starting with a more aggres- 
sive com])uter AI. Digital opponents 
IMimp up their play in response to your 
own increasing skills. Game speed has 
also been significantly tweaked, both in 
solo rounds and in the wide range of 
multiplayer modes, including serial, 
modem, LAN, and network connec- 
tions. Accolade has made it easier to find 
opponents online, thanks to its new 
Game Matching Service, a user-friendly 
method of locating and matching 
Internet players of equal skills, 

Graphics remain a liighlight of JN5, 
w'hich features the same groundbreaking 


amazing. Ikiese guys are unquestionably 
the most natural and lifelike digital 
golfers I’ve ever seen — they blend per- 
fectly w'ith the foreground graphics. 

Another big change is the introduc- 
tion of the MouseMctcr, the latest 
attempt by game designers to offer a 
more intrinsic method of swinging the 
virtual club. Viewed from an overhead 
perspective, players move the mouse 
right for backswing and then quickly to 
the left to make contact. Moving the 
mouse slightly u]3 or dowir on the follow'- 
through produces a .slice or hook. 
Excellent try’. Accolade, but no cigar. 
There's absolutely no w'ay to judge how 
far your shot will travel based on your 
wrist snap. Two seemingly similar swings 
can vary in distance as much as 50-75 
yards. Add that up over the course of 18 
holes and this little gizmo can easily cost 


DESIGNER DREAMS 

|N5!s biggest draw remains its built-in 
course designer, a feature no otlrer golf 
sim can touch with a lO-foot driver. More 
powerful tlian ever, lire designer — mod- 
eled after Nicklaas 
Productions’ own prrrpri- 
ctary CAD sy'Stem — 
offers even greater free- 
dom to change textures, 
add objects, and alter 
course layouts. You can 
now also import custom 
graphics and sound 
effects created with third- 
party' applications. 
Unfortunately, you still 
have to save and exit the 
designer to test a hole — 
one ov'ersight not correct- 
ed from the previous ver- 
sion of tlx: game. And 
despite lire interface 
improvements, tlx: learn- 
ing ciirx-e is still quite steep. But it’s an 
investment well worth making, consider- 
ing tire long-tenn enjoyment it promises. 

0\'erall, Jack Nicklaus 5 is a worthy 
upgrade to an already classic golf sim. If 
you enjoyed the last round, you’ll find 


yourself falling in love all over again. 


^APPEAL: Golf nuts of any skill. 


^PROS: Faster play and killer 
graphics; better course designer; 
beefed-up computer Al; choice of 
three types of swing mechanics. 




you a matcii. Luckily, tlie MouseMctcr 
is only an option; both double- and 
triple-click swing meters are available for 
old-timers. 




Price: S39.95 
System Requirements: 

Pentium 120, Windows 
95, 16MB RAM, 16-bit 
graphics card, 4x CD- 
ROM drive, 137MB free 
hard-drive space, key- 
board or mouse; Win 
95-compatib!e sound 
cards. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 

Modem (2 players), 
serial (2 players), LAN 
(2-8 players): 1 CD per 
player. 

Designer: Eclipse 
Entertainment 
Publisher; Accolade 
San Jose, CA 
(800) 245-7744 
www.accolade.com 


Jk 


MARCH 199B 


COW 



...YARMOOR [YELLOW] DEFEATS FLATLINER [BLACK] IN A SANCTIONED MATCH ON SOLARIS... 


Stone -GrpW-> : Where did DW's Banshee go? 

3T Chance -6rpW-> : It shredded my gyro! 

I'm out! DEAD! 

Stone -GrpW-> : I'm gonna need help 

- who's left? 

HELLO? 


iii 

1i 


CAMESTORM. 


SDLRRIS' 

www.multiplayerbattletech.com 


— $9.95 MONTHLY— ONE PRICE, ALL GAMES, UNLIMITED PLAY— FIRST MONTH FREE — 


GO TO II238 @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 

Multiplayer BattleTech: Solaris is a trademark and BattieTech is a registered trademark of FASA Corporation. 

Used under license. GameStorm is a trademark of Kesmai Corporation ® 1997. All rights reserved. studio 


JFBbR 


SODA OFF-ROAD RACIHC • REYIEWAA 


Dirt Ball 

SODA Off-Road Racing Is So Real You’ll Feel the Mud In Your Eye 

by Gordon Goble 


hat would you 
expect if Papyrus 
Design Croup, 
the minds behind 
(lie classic 

NASCAR 
R-'iCINC, decided 
to go off-roading? 
Considering the 
source, you might 

expect a realistic, off-road simulation 
with excellent vehicle d>Tiamics and an 
aecent on garage know-how. And thats a 
perfect description of SODA Off- 
Road Racing, 

In fact, though SODA has Papyrus' 
name wTitten all o\'er it, (he com[)an)’ 
was on board in an advisor}' and sup[5ort 
role only. 'Ihis superb simulation was 
actually crafted for 
Pap}'ru.s (and ulti- 
mately Sierra On- 
Line) by a little 
developer called 
Software Allies, 
which has lent a 
minor helping 
hand to previous 
Papyrus efforts. 

SODA is Software 
Allies' first solo 
excursion, and it’s 
probably (he finest 
off-road title ever, 
putting to shame 
Accolade’s atro- 
cious 'I'lib'l' DltlVK: 

Off Ro.ad and 
driving Microsoft*) 

MONSUFItTRUCK 
Mxdnfss right off the road. 

MY NAME IS MUD 

SODA gives gamers the opportunity 
to dri\ e one of three different off-road 
x'ehicic types through a variety of dirt 
and mud environments that often 
resemble roller coasters more than race- 
tracks. 'lire drive is slow, jolting, and dif- 
ficult-just as it should be — and is per- 


fectly suited to anyone who appreciates 
the hammering (hat real-life off-road 
dris ers take as the}' stmggle to keep tlieir 
mounts pointed in the right direction 
through the inosl horrid of conditions, 
,'\nd we're not talking inclement 
weather here, folks. Indeed, SODA 
events always take place under glorious 
blue .skies with just a hint of clouds. It’s 
what the}Te nin upon that is the cause 
for concern, 'lliis is loo,sc, deep soil, the 
ty[}e of terrain (hat would bog dowTi 
most any other sort of race ear, the type 
that sj3ra}'S U]) from tires and refuses to 
allow anything but a cautious, controlled 
approach.'! lie fact that treacherous 
cliffs, steep hills, sudden abutments, and 
gaps in the roadway are stre\'.ii about 
only adds to (he fear that you could be 


tossed off the beaten path at aiiy 
moment. 

But whether you opt for the light- 
weight “buggie” class, the high-powered 
two-wheel-drive tnick or (he equally 
|)otenl four-w heel-dri\’e categor}', one 
thing remains constant — SODA/cc/,s' 
real. 'Fake a gi\ en turn at SO mph and 
watch as }our rear wheels kick out from 
under you or your front end comes 


around, 'Iben, on your ncx1 circuit, take 
the same turn at 47 mph. 'lhat 3-mph 
differential may well be enough to keep 
}'Our tires on the ground, if }'Ou’vc 
approached the turn in the exact same 
manner, that is. If not, you may catch a 
little gra.ss on the left, a little of that dip 
on the right, or merel}’ get a little “out of 
shape.” Whatever, there’s a good chance 
you won't e.\perience (he .same results. 
Nor should you. 

TOUCHY FEELY 

SODA is perha[)s the most ''touch} ” 
PapyriLs title to date, which adds to its 
inherent difficulty. /Iny fast steering 
maneuver is a guarantee of failure, as is 
quick acceleration or sudden braking. 
Instead, smooth, fluid movements are 
the trick. '] hough its 
frirstrating and .seem- 
ingly impo.ssible at first, 
considering the condi- 
tioius, you simph’ have 
to stick with it on just 
one course, going over 
it again and agiiin, until 
vou’n'c mastered the 
almost gentle driving 
style the game 
dentunds.Ybu know- 
kind of like what you 
had to do the first 
times }'ou ran 
NASC/\RR\GtNG. 

Certainly you can’t 
ex|)ect carnage on a 
level of NASCAR 
RACtNG, but various 
body chunks do lend to 
crumple and detach, and your vehicle 
may accrue enough damage to [)rcma- 
turcly end your day. It’s unfortunate, 
then, that SODA docs a rather poor job 
of graphically highlighting crashes — its 
usually a rather insignificant bump and 
very little audio. 

Graphically, SODA seems a bit rough 
at first, but the pieces fall into place once 
you start driving, no matter which of the 








Price: S49.95 
System Requirements: 

Pentium 90, 16IV1B RAM, 
60MB hard-drive space, 
2x CD-ROM drive, 16-bit 
sound card (Win 95- and 
DirectXS-compatible), 
VL8/PC1 SVGA DirectXS- 
compatible graphics 
adapter, 

3D Support: Rendition- 
based 3D-accelerator 
boards, 

Multiplayer Support: 

LAN (2-6 players, 1 CD 
per player), modem (2 
players, 1 CD per player), 
or serial connection (2 
players, 1 CD per player). 
Designer: Software 
Allies, Inc. 

Publisher: Sierra On-Line 
Bellevue, WA 
(800) 757-7707 

www.sierra.com 



MARCH 1996 


ccw 


SPORTS 



SPORTS 


REVIEW • SODA OFF-ROAD RACIHC 


Roll Your Own 

V irtuaily every racliis game since Papyrus' Indy SOO 
has been haunted by one drawback: a limited nunv 
ber of tracks. Both wild arcade games and serious 
simulations tend to wear a bit thin after prolonged expo- 
sure to the same corners, the same straights, and the 
same track idiosyncrasies. 

Fortunately for those of us who believe you can never 
have enough of a good thing, Dr. SODA has come to the 
rescue with a track construction kit that’s sure to cure, 
it's easy to use and offers up results on a par with the 
game's prepackaged circiilts—better, if you spend 
enough time and effort. 

The SODA Track Designer is a stand-alone utility that 
starts you off with a simple oval track floating above a 
simple grid, as viewed through numorous free-floating 
cameras. By adjusting nodes on the road surface or on 
the grid, the track can take on whatever shape you can 
dream up with whatever elevation changes strike your 
fancy. Monster jumps? Banked hairpin turns? Figure 8 
with a mud bog on one side and a giant chasm on the 
other? No problem. 

After you’vB sot the basic layout, you’ll want to add 
some objects. The program takes care of background 
scenery and cordons off your track area with walls and 
signs, but the rest Is up to you. Now, you can’t go and 
drmv an enormous monumont to, say, Thmmy Faye Baker 
and plunk it down in the middle of the infield, but 
enough objects are provided to keep most track archi- 
tects satisfied, including puridlos, foliage, grandstands, 
banners, barns, and sfios. In the end, I'd managed to 
piece together a challenging and I dare say attractive 
course In just a couple of hours. 

The downside? Welt, though you can drive your new 
hunk of landscape in solo mode right away, for comput- 
erized competition you're going to have to devote sever- 
al hours of your computer's time to SOOA’s “Loarn” 
mode, which instills artificial Intelilgence into the pro- 
gram’s cars (though some might argue that they don't 
get quite smart enough). Fortunately, this lengthy proce- 
dure can be interrupted and picked up again later or run 
quite inconspicuously in the background while you spend 
your time on more constructive things— like writing a 
game review. 





► HIGH JUMP SODA courses pack a lit- 
tle of everything, including monster 
jumps like this. 


niiiny free-floating 
viewing perspectives 
yon’ve selected.'llie 
vicinity around your 
car is \'i\'iclly rendered, 
w'itli rampant laxtiiring 
that offers a convinc- 
ing sense of speed. All 
the vehicles move, 
bounce, and shudder 
in a wonderful rc-crc- 
alion of real life; the 
graphics lose their 
autlrcntidt)' only under 
extreme bumpcr-io-bnmper action, when yon feel a.s if you’re 
■'merging” with the truck ahead. 

'llic game offers 12 stock courses, cacli from one of three envi- 
ronment t)pcs (desert, countr)’, and tropics) made up of individual 
palettes and uniejue peripheral scenery. SODA offers full 
Rendition support, though even with a Screamin’ 3D and a P20() I 
was forced to lower some of the detail to bump the frame rale to 
optimum levels. I'brlunately, SODA packs graphic options galore 
and should work just fine with an}' ii[>.scalc rig. 

Of course, Papynis sTOuldn’l put its name on a title that didn’t 
feature an imposing 
garage and setup facili- 
ty. Such is the case 
with SODA, w'hich 
lets you modify your 
sctu]i to your heart’s 
content — and suffer 
the consequences of 
your tinkering. 

All in all, SODA 
Ol’i' Ro.\d R-\CINC is 
an appealing, original 
racing game with tons 
of cool amenitic.s. Its a 
great alternative for 
sim racing heads wlio 
are looking for some- 
thing a little offthe 

beaten track. Ss 


FAPPGAL: Off-road fans unim- 
pressed with previous off-road 
games. Sim racers who aren’t put 
off by a substantial learning curve 
and a new way to drive. 

FPROS: Amazing vehicle physics 
and dynamics; lovely foreground tex- 
turing that conveys speed and direc- 
tion; great track designer; PC off- 
reading has never felt this real. 
FCOHS: Marginally jagged graph- 
ics; annoyingly 
insignificant 
crash indicators; 
vehicles in 
extreme close 
proximity can 
appear to 
“merge.” 





CGW 


MARCH 199B 






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CLASSICS b PUZZLES 


REVIEW • YOU DOHT KNOW JACK 3 




Price: $29.99 (each) 
System Requirements: 
486/66, Windows 3,1 or 
better, 16MB RAM, 28MB 
hard-drive space, SVGA 
graphics, 2x CD ROM; sup- 
ports Windows-compatible 
sound cards, 
3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Hotseat (1-3 players). 
Designer: Jellyvision 
Publisher: Berkeley 
Systems 
Berkeley. CA 
(510) 540-5535 
www.berkeleysystems.com 


Pair of Jacks 


Diamonds, Mom Clubs in the Latest Hand From Berkeley 

by Charles Ardai 



illunigli both start with 
"f” and end willi “ier," an\' 
tliird-gradcr can tell jtiu 
tlial "fancier” and “fun- 
nier” aren’t synon)'ms. 
dliis is w'h)' it's a little dis- 
, appointing to see the 
[ very talented folks at 
I Berkeley Systems 
I as,suining that making 
a game fancier automatically makes 
it funnier, as well. 

'Ihc You Don't Know Jack 
games (of which YOLi DON’'t' 

Know' |,\ck 3 and You Don’t 
Know' Jack TV are numhers five 
and six) have never been ver)' fancy, 
but they’\e alwaw been incredibl)’, 
wickedly, naughtil)’, and uproarious- 
ly funny. Now come the latest 
inslallments, and all of a sudden 
cvciA'thing’s fancier: 'Hie visuals are 
.still almost all text, but now the text 
scrolls and spirals and flows and 
.swoo.shcs on and off the screen; 
now a right answer causes the ]3la\- 
cr’s numeral to be showered with 
dollar bills or celebrated with fire- 
works, while a wTong answer causes 
the number to be cnished under a 
falling anvil. But funnier it isn’t. 

Indeed, the wit that has alwaj's 
been the hallmark of this sterling 
series suddenly seems 
somehow. . .strained. Can it be that 
after writing something around 
50,000 smart-alecky tri\'ia ejuestions 
and silly gag answers, the writers are 
beginning to run out of ideas? 

I DON'T KNOW, JACK 

Another possibility is that the 
audience is simply becoming bored 
w ith J.\CK. i know that after watch- 
ing JcopurdyiiWT)' night for a week, 

I greet a new episode with some- 
what less enthusiasm than 1 do 
when I'n’c been away from nwTA’' 
for a while. Computer gamers ]ia\'e 
been getting a steady diet of J,\CK 


for about two \ears now; one could 
hardly blame them if they were getting 
a little tired of it. Was Shakes|)eare 
writing about J,A(.:K when he said, "Play 
on...give me excess of it, that, .surfeit- 
ing, (he appetite ma)' sicken, and ,so 


die...Knough; no more; 'tis not so .sweet 
now^ as it was before”? Wtll, not rcalh; 
but he might as w ell have been. 

What’s (here to tire of? Cheeky 
innuendo, for one thing. Sexual double 
eniendres need not be sophisticated, 


P As if the jiggling Weren't 
Enough (ACR) 


If the producers of “Charlie’s Angels” had 
cast the show according to its ORIGINAL 
title, which of the following would you have 
expected to have seen? 

1 1, cats going brA“les8 
2*dogs in bikinis 
3. rabbits in halter tops ■ 

A. bears In tube tops 


Ch^i^te V ChafJks 

^^0 I $ 1 ;^ 


They Can Do Amazing Things 
with Spandex"* 


$ 2,000 


What would an Olympic 
gymnast have to do in order 
to execute a “groined vault”? 

1 scrub in and perforin surgery 

2 orguiize a bank robbery 

have sex with three women at once 


► FROM SPANDEX TO PLAYTEX Both games are risque, but you'll find Jack 3 funnier 
than Jack TV. 


A 


ccw 


MARCH 1996 




YOU DOM'T KNOW JACK TV • REVIEWAAV 


but they do need to be pulled off with a 
certain elegance — otherwise, you’re 
really dealing with single enlendre, as in 
Jack 3’s new“Tlirce Way” questions, 
with their orgasmic background sounds 
(“Oh, yes!”) and forced sex gags (“Looks 
like we’ve readied our climax”). Gross- 
out gags are also getting tiring: All the 
Jack games end with parody commer- 
cials, but w'hcrc the first game had some 
brilliant satiric gems (two years later, 1 
still chuckle over the “Mealth food store 
bo)' doll” jingle), Jack 5 and JackTV 
club }ou o\’er the head with ads for a 
"urination pad for men,” a 'IVsjiccial 
called VWien Dogs Sniff Crotches 2, and 
a food product callccrSplat; Spreadable 
Lips, Anuses, and Teals.” 

Am 1 selecting the most extreme 
examples? Of course 1 am, and 1 don’t 
w'ant to be unfair, llic a\'cragc level of 
the humor is not quite as low' as these 
examples might suggest, though Jack 3 
comes off much better— and funnier— 
in this regard than does JaCKTV 

DIS OR DAT? 

Gameplay is tlie same as in ]irevious 
installments. For the handful of you who 
have never pla)'ed JACK, tliis means that 
a snide offecreen host reads multiple- 
choice questions out loud and one, two, 
or three players race to bu>a in and 
.select answers. Players win points for 
answering correctly and lose points for 
making mistakes. Play is divided into 
three rounds, including a finale (the “Jack 
Attack”) in w'hich you ha\ e to match 
pairs of clues that embody some special 
relationship. Periodically, unusual types 
of questions crop up, including“Dis or 
Dat" questions, in which )ou ha\'c to 
indicate into which of two categories a 
series of clues falls (“Dangerous gas or 
shampoo?’); “Impossible Questions,” in 
which you have to guess at a j)iece of 
information \'ou couldn't possibl)' know' 
("How many dollars did Sinokeyand the 
Banditgross by 1995?"); and the ever- 
popular“Gibberish Questions,” in w'hich 
you have to translate a meaningless 
phrase into the familiar phrase with 
which it rhymes. 

Questions can be on any topic in JACK 
3; in JackTv( all the questions are about 
telev'ision shows, w'ith a particular 
emphasis on cheesy genre shows and sit- 
coms of the 1970s. Your success at the 
latter will be greater if you know' that the 



Bionic Woman was a tennis pro before 
she became bionic and that Archie 
Bunker once called Iwinkies “WASP 
soul food.” But, as with Jack SPORfS (in 
which most of the questions could be 
enjoyed by people who were not sports 
fanatics). JackTA-' is not particularly 
nasty or relentless in the minutiae it asks 
you to recall. 

J.\CK TV has a different host from 
Jac:k 3, and the change is anything but 
an improvement. His voice is more 
grating and his jokes are noticeably 
lame. (Aftcra question about 'Ifappcr 
John’s surgeon .sidekick, Gonzo, the 
announcer quips “A Muppet doing 
surgery. Oh, man, 1 can see the mal- 
practice suit from here.” After a ques- 
tion about the eagle on Wonder 
Woman's costume, he wryly says; "1 
stared at her chest plenty and 1 never 
noticed no eagle.”) 

To be fair, some of the animation 
sequences that introduce each question 
in Jack TV include very funn)' parodies 
of TV theme songs and catchphrases: a 
ITcrv'c Villcchaize imitator shouting 
“Tliir-Tcen! Thir-Teen!" a la Fantasy 
Island, for instance. 

In a world that had never know'n 
Jack, both Jack 3 and JackTV would 
probab!)’ be hailed as successes. /Mas, we 
know (and wc’\'c pla\ cd) better. Jack 3 is 
the more inspired of the two games, and 
is well worth the purchase despite being 


overjKodiiced. JackTA-' has its 
moments, but if you're expecting another 
change of pace — such as with JACK 
Movies— you'll likely be di.sap])ointed. 
Maybe by the time JACK 4 rolls around, 
the w'ritere will have some frc.sh ideas. 

We can onl\' hope. % 







MARCH 1998 


ccw 


CLASSICS 







There’s a little geek in ali of us 



Introducing ZDTV, the first 24-hour computer channel and integrated website, coming in spring 1998, Go to www.zdtv.com for a sneak preview, 
and let us know what you think. If we like your ideas, we might even give you your own show, How's that for interactive? 


thariesSchwab D^ 4 ,L IBM iTlt^ McfOS<# |W||CRON Novell. ORACLS S IEBE I- ^SUtl 

Many thanks to our charter sponsors. 


HOYLE CLASSIC CARD GAMES • REVIEW A ^ 


Pick a Card 


by Barry Brenesal 

N ow that the liolidays liavc passed, 
you may be wondering what to 
do witii that leftover fruitcake 
Ifom Aunt Ida. You might feel the 
same about the perennial gaggle 
of parlor games ported to the PC. Its not 
that HoYUi: Classic Caiid Games 

lacks the usual Sierra polish, it’s just that 
there isn’t much else here. 

Gone are the computer- 
driven opponents drawn from 
Sierra’s past grapliics adven- 
tures. (1 miss Baba Yaga.) 

Tliey’ve been replaced by a 
slate of new figures — ftom a 
lawyer named Langley to an 
anthropomorphized robot 
named Primus. \bu ’ll find a 
spate of familiar card games 
among the 12 game selections 
in tlie package. But computer 
versions of Bridge and Poker 
have been done far better 
elsewlrere, and there are a 


number of good shareware versions of 
Mcarts available on the Internet— for a lot 
loss money. 

Of course, the real fun of card games 
comes from social interaclion; thals why 
Aunt Ida dons her green \asor and plays 
poker with the boys every Tuesday night. 
Tliis multiplayer camaraderie is complete- 
ly missing from the hloYij: Classic 



Calld Games. 
Attempts to 
simirlate this 
interaction backfire 


aftcracharac- 



ter responds w'ilh identically inflected 
remarks the 15tli time, you begin to feel as 
if your nose is being shoved inside tlie des- 
iccated programming code of tire game. 

You may not w'ant to offend your Aunt 
Ida by serrding back that fnritcake, but 
yoir carr certainly turn down this half- 
baked fruitcake of a ganre. % 


^APPEAL: For those who feel 
shuffling real cards takes too much 
ene^y. 

^PROS: Simple interface; familiar 
games; nice doc- 
umentation. 

►CONS: There 
are much better 
computer card 
games for the 
price. 



Price: $29.95 

System 

Requirements: 

486/66, Windows 
3.1 or better, SMB 
RAM. 6MB hard- 
drive space, 2x CD- 
ROM drive; sup- 
ports Windows- 
compatible sound 
cards. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: Oi 

through Sierra Internet ( 
Service (2-4 players); 1 
player. 

Publisher: Sierra On-Lir 
Bellevue, WA 
(800) 757-7707 

wviiiw.sierra.com 


PICTIONARY • REVIEW A ^ 


Drawing a Blank 


by Charlotte Panther 

A s I am a huge fan of tlie Pictionary 
board game, I was eagerly awaiting 
Llasbro’s digital version. Despite the 
participation of the original design- 
ers, however, PlcnONARYdoes not 
come close to the standard of its pcncil- 
and-paper cousin, lire game is played via 
six categories, four of which involve figur- 


ing out what the computer is drawing, or 
guessing at a hidden image before all of its 
parLs are revealed. There’s also a fast- 
buzzer round, during which you mu.st 
match up words and pictures as they glide 
past you on a conveyor belt. 

Most of the games require you to buzz 
in and type the first three letters of the 
answer — if you’re correct, the 
rest of the word will register 
automatically. With the phrase 
“ear to the ground,” for exam- 
ple, 1 typed “ear" and the 
game credited me with get- 
ting the whole phrase correct. 
'Iliis feature removes all the 
tension that arises from get- 
ting some of the clue right and 
stniggling to figure out the 
whole thing— which is an 
intrinsic part of what made the 
original Pictionaij'km. 

In general, the games in 
PlcnONARY are fairly unre- 


markable. 

Only ioif 
Draw— 
where you must draw pic- 
tures using your mouse as a pencil — is 
really reminiscent of the original. 
Watching friends’ attempts to draw mas- 
terpieces with the mouse had its 
moments, but I found myself missing the 
boardgame. Some classics are better 
enjoyed in tiieir original incarnation. 


►APPEAL: Only for those who 
assume that digital must be better 
than paper. 

►PROS: Watching friends drawing 
pathetic pictures with the mouse will 
make you 
chuckle. 

►CONS: Too 
easy; only one of 
the six games 
resembles the 
boardgame. 







Price: $29.99 
System 

Requirements: 

486/66, Windows 
95. 12MB RAM, 
40MB hard-drive 
space, 2x CD-ROM; 
supports Windows- 
compatible sound 
cards. 

3D Support: None. 
Multiplayer sup- 
port: 1-3 individual 
players or two 
teams; internet, 
LAN, or Hotseat; 

1 CD per player. 
Publisher: Hasbro 
Interactive 
Beverly, 

Massachusetts 
(508) 921-3700 

www.hasbro.com 


CLASSICS 6 PUZZLES CLASSICS & PUZZLES 




INTRODUCING A NEW PUBLICATION FROM ZIFF-DAVIS 



a,- WAV ■ 
WMfeT 
TV 




ieDVDM«rrn ]i ^igiiiUaiiHfAi 


The Coolest Digital 
Products On The Planet. 


ZDTiTFnAvi.! GET IT AT A NEWSSTAND BEGINNING NOVEMBER 4TH 

OR CHECK IT OUT ON THE WEB AT WWW.ZDEQUIP.COM 

CopyriglK © 1997 by Ziff-Davis Inc. All Rights Reserved. ZD Equip is a trademark of Ziff-Davis Inc. and PC Coinpuiinu is a recislcrcd trademark of Ziff-Davis Inc 

Dick Tracy ®&© Tribune Media Services Inc. 







SCORPIA ADVEHTURE/RP6 


ii 


The 

game is a 
lighthearted 
romp, full of 
humor and 
wicked little 
jabs at 
adven- 
turing. T* 


Price: S49.95 
System Requirements; 
Pentium 90, Windows 95, 
16MB RAM, 50MB hard-drive 
space, 4x CD-ROM drive, 16- 
bit 640x480 graphics with a 
VESA local bus or PCI video 
card with 1MB RAM, Sound 
Blaster 16-compatible sound 
card, mouse. 28.8Kbps mo- 
dem for multiplayer option. 
30 Support: None. 
Multiplayer Support: 
Modem, LAN, or internet {2 
players); 1CD per player. 
Designer/Publisher: 
Activision 
Santa Monica, CA 
(310) 255-2000 
www.activislon.com 


iiig nostalgic stops at Flood Control 
Dam and the legendary \Vliite 
[ louse. 'Iliis isn't just a trip down niemo- 
r}' lane, of course; there is also a nefari- 
ous plot to foil. 

Tlie Inquisitor (of the title) is behind it 
all. Mis goal is to completely eradicate 
magic, while at the same time ensure 
that the population bows iii total, mind- 
numbing obedience to his orders. Me is, 
oln’iously. not a nice gu\'. 

\\1iile the game begins in Port 
Foozle, you quickly end up in the 
G.U.E., where most of the action takes 
place. It's here that you find the la.st bit 


DAM IT Harking back all the way to Zork I, you’ll have to figure out the controls to 
Flood Control Dam #3 as you make your way through Zork Grand Inquisitor. 


SPELL RELIEF The G.U.E. spellchecker- 
should be without one. 


of magical power and use it, plus your 
wits, to stop the Inquisitor before bis 
plans come to fruition. 

You must bring magic back into the 
world b)’ retrieving three potent artifacts: 
the fabled Coconut of Quenclor, tiie 
Cube of Foundation, and tlic Skull of 
Yomck (not to be found in just any old 
hamlet). In other words, its the usual 
hero’s quest stuff. 


HELL TO PAY 

You don't go this one 
alone; there arc companions 
of sorts to help you along. 
One is the spirit of the la.st 
Dungeon Master, who cur- 
rently resides in the famous 
bra,ss lantern, 'llirec other 
spirits trapped in totems (a 
fonn of punishment) also 
provide assistance, along 
witli Antliaria jack, a grand 
'IV hero. 


Over tlie course of tlie game, you pay 
a visit to Hades, meet a two-headed 
Cerberus (even flell is downsizing these 
daj's), traipse through time tunnels, ride 
tlic G.U.E. subwa}’, spend some time in 
a dragon’s moutli, and perform a daring 
jail break, among other feats. 

Tlie mood here is definitely light, 
and wliile the underhang threat is, of 
course, serious, ZORK Gr-vs'D 
Inquisitor is played for laughs. There 
are send-ups and takeoffs on standard 
adventure fare, and other things as well. 
If Antliaria Jack seems somehow suspi- 
ciously familiar, thats deliberate. He may 
not have raided any arks or found any 
grails, but you probably know him. 

In tandem with the humor, the puz- 
zles are fairly easy to soK’e. Where the 
previous game, ZoRK NemrsIS, had a 
lot of tough nuts to crack, ZCl’s posers 
often have ob\’ious answers. Wliilc 
there were some tricky parts, I was a bit 
sur]5risecl at how quickly tlie game was 


Going 

Underground 

Zork Grand Inquisitor Is a Humorous 
Journey Through Adventure Gaming’s Past 



ADVCNTURE/RPG 


SCORPIA 



finished, even lliough (here is much for 
}ou to do. 

As with most ads'enture games these 
clays, tire interface is simple. Wlien \’ou 
move the cursor over an interacti\’c 
object— a lever to puli, a button to push, 
or a door to open— you click the mouse 
to perform the appropriate action. Wlien 
the cursor is over an item you can take, 
the arrow beconies a hand; and you |)ick 
up the item by clicking. You can then try 
using it on something else, or you can 
put it into your inventor)' bag. You access 
the bag in one of two w'a)^; Use a hot kc)’ 
(F5), w'hich displays every'thing you’re 
canning, or mo\e the cursor to (he top 
left of the screen, which opens a sliding 
bar displaying the first 16 items you have 
in the bag. 

Spells are handled the same w'ay; You 
can open the spellbook from inside the 
inventory' bag orimove the cursor to the 
top right to openj a slide bar with symbols 
representing the Ispells in your book. 
Clicking a symbol readies the S[)ell foi' 
casting. Tire speDs you leani, by the way, 
are automaticallv written in the book as 
you find them. 

Movement is similar to that in ZoitK 
NemIlSIS: while you can rotate 360 
degrees or look up and dow'ii (some- 
times), y'ou can move only' in certain pre- 
detennined directions. 

Tiic game contains no automap; the 
closest thing to one is a magical map 
that works w'ith (he teleport machines 
scattered around (he G.U.E. Once you 
have visited a main location (such as the 
Dungeon Master’s Lair or G.U.E. Tech), 
it appears on thc.map. Insert the ma]) in 
a teleporter and choose a destination, 


and you 're taken there instantly. Tliats 
more than sufficient. Although the main 
areas usually ha\'e several rooms each, 
(he locations are small and you can't 
become lost or confused. Tire G.U.E. is 
a rather compact place. 

YOUR TURN? 

ZGl is ])resented in a letterbox style, 
and when it comes to graphics, the game 
is c|uile good. Tire middle portion of the 
screen is the main display'; the top (con- 
trols and scroll bars) and bottom (text 
display) portions arc black. 

Speaking of text, the game has 


complete subtitles. You can play with 
sound or sound and text. Tliat includes 
the EMVs that mn from time to time 
during the game— a thoughtful touch. 
Its good to see that ZORK hasn’t forgot- 
ten its roots. 

Interestingly, ZGI supports multiplay 
for two ])co]d1c via LAN, Internet, or 
modem connections. 'Hie play is, of 
course, cooperative, since GRAND 

Inquisitor isn’t exact- 
ly a shooter. Sorry to 
say; I didn't have the 
chance to try this fea- 
ture, so 1 can’t tell you 
how well it works 
(although my editors 
tell me that its less than 
stellar). Also, the multi- 
player softw'are that 
comes W'ith the game is 
labeled as a beta ver- 
sion, so you may want 


to slop by Activision’s Web site 
(www.activision.com) to check for 
updates before trying this yourself. 

7he game itself, though, ran beauti- 
fully throughout, W'ith no crashes, 
freezes, lockups, or other oddities. It all 
went very smoothly, including the 
FMVs. You do need DirectX 5.0, and its 
included (along w'ith a number of up- 
dated sound and video drivers) on the 
GD. 'Die installation of DirectX and the 
new' drivers for my cards proved to be 
quick and trouble-free. 

’^llie acting and voice-o\'ers are very' 
good. Dirk Benedict (as /Xntharia Jack) is 


a standout; he’s amazing as an ersatz 
Indiana Jones, 'f’he advantage of doing a 
humorous game is that actors can ham it 
up, and y'ou can be sure that esery'one 
takes advantage of the opportunity here. 
While the u.sc of live actors in games 
often comes off poorly, in this case, it 
works out well. 

YOU HAVE DIED 

Tlie downsides to the game are that it 
goes loo (juickly and the puzzles are just 
a little too .simple most of the time. I sup- 
pose this is a reaction to complaints that 
N|':mI’.S 1 S was overlydifficult. In correct- 
ing for that, bowcs'cr, Actis’ision went a 
bit too far in the other direction. 

Overall, ZoRK Grand Inquisitor is 
a lighthearted romp, full of humor and 
w'icked little jabs at adventuring. While 
its a little too short and a little loo easy, 
the game is nonetheless fun for both vet- 
erans and novices alike. % 



OPEN HOUSE The White House, one of computer gam- 
ing's most famous landmarks, makes a return appearance 
in ZoRK Grand Inquisitor. 


A. A A. 



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DENNIS MCCAULEY • SPORTS 


Of Mice and MNP 


Thanks to Some Mickey Mouse 
Decision-Making, OT Sports Is Dead 


T 


he new's hit me 
like a Reggie 
White sack. 
Tliere I am, 


I enjoying 
I MONDAi’ 

I Night 
I Footbaix98 

as much as any 
I sports game 
I’ve played all year. Even after sending 
my review to CCWSports Editor Jeff 
Green for the monthly red pen therapy, I 
can’t seem to put MNF aside. 1 realize 
I’m hooked because I’ve even signed up 
with an Internet league, something I 
almost never find time for. In the league. 
I’m coaching the Eagles and loving it, 
despite weekly poundings by online 
opponents who take sadistic pleasure in 
my red-zone blues. 

And then one day I’m cmising the 
newsgroups, where 1 stumble across an 
anon^'mous message claiming that 
MNF 98 has been orphaned, and the 
staff pink-slip])ed. Could Disney, the 
original corporate cash cow, really have 


pulled the plug on a promising company 
such as OT Sports? 

No way, I think. ’The game is great. It 
has the tie-in with the popular Gifford- 
Dierdorf-Michaels prime-time NFL 
coverage. And gauging from the Net traf- 
fic, sales are wa)' up from the game’s 
lukewarm debut in 1996. Besides, we've 
been through this before with Usenet 
impostors claiming the inside scoop. 


THE BLOODY TRUTH 

The next day, however, MNF designer 
Doug Whatley’s wife posted a follow-up 
indicating that OT Sports was indeed 
bleeding out, but that tlie game would be 
supported tlirough the end of the season. 
Say it ain’t so! Appearing on the scene just 
as the Legends 98 debacle w'as leaving 
sports gamers squealing like Ned Beatty 
in Deliverance, MNF 98 filled a major 
void in this year’s football lineup. After all, 
a good-looking NFL game with realistic 
strategy options, a dirt-simple play-calling 
interface, and smoolli Internet play is 
nothing to sneeze at. So what has Mickey 
been smoking lately? 


Despite a round of layoffs that left a 
skeleton crew in charge at OT Sports, 
General Manager Deborah Wahler 
remains upbeat. 

“This was primarily a decision by 
Disney Interactive,” Wahler says. “They 
took a look at their business and decided 
their core competencies were not neces- 
sarily in sports. 

“Without critical mass in this business 
it’s very hard to compete,” Walrler 
laments. “EA ovms tiie sports category. 
Strategically we were a very small busi- 
ness entity — 30 people — and far 
removed from where Disney’s resource 
base could help us. A lot of businesses 
reevaluate. I think Disney reevaluated.” 

Despite the sacking of OT Sports, 
Wahler gives assurances that Disney will 
continue to support MNF 98 and its col- 
lege cousin. Heroes of the Gridiron, 
through their natural life cycle. She also 
confinned that iNDY RACING would be 
released as planned in time for the 
Christmas shopping season, where it w'ill 
be going wheel-to-wheel with Micro- 
soft’s CART Precision Racing. 



t t Is this 
the end of OT 
Sports as we 
know it? 
Unfortunately, 
yes. 



BARELY BREATHING 

So, is this the end of OT Sports as we 
know it? Unfortunately, yes. 

“As far as Disney Ls concerned it is the 
end of OT as an entity,” Wahler confirms. 
“Tliere are some tilings that may happen 
for it to survive, but not under Disney 
ownership. If Disney decides to sell its 
assets then OT Sports may indeed live.” 
friie assets Wahler refers to include the 
MNF 98 game engine, the iNDY RACING 
engine, and related trademarks.) 

Meanwhile, at OT Sports’ Hunt 
Valley, Maryland offices, a small, hand- 
picked team — including MNF designer 
Doug Wiatley and producer Russell 



SPORTS 


DEHNIS MCCAULEY 


V 



FORGOTTEN HEROES OT Sports’ college football game is a 
decent variation on the Monday Night Football engine, but, 
due to a lack of support, it has barely registered in the polis. 

i-i I'l ■*-| 1 ^— — 

Clark — remain behind lo complete 


Imoy Racing and [Drovide siip|Dor( for 
MNf*' and i llillOKS. A transition team 
from Disney is also in [Dlace. 

\Vliats next for talented sports game 
designer Dong Wliatlcy? Me was respon- 
sible for the underrated Ui;i IMATK 
FocriBAi.!, series wliile at MicroFrose, 
and historically has been the most acces- 
sible of sports game personas, readily 
available lo gamers’ gripes and questions, 
Deborali Wahler predicts a bright future 
for MNF 98s creator, 

“Doug and Ru,s,scll Clark arc so talent- 
ed that they really can determine their 
own fate. A lot of pc‘0|5lc sec ownership as 
an interesting way lo go. 1 believe Doug’s 
probably thinking in those tcniis, Mes got 
a great rep, and lies been around football 
and had some nice success." 

Okay, so O'l' Sports is dead in the 
w'atcr. Wliat about MNl’98, a game that 
really came of age this season? Is it des- 
tined to become computer gaming’s ver- 
sion of the albleic dying young? 

"1 reall)' don't know'," Walilcr sa)'s.“ln 
the interactive business the first year is 
really tough. By j'ear two ) ou’vc w orked 
out a lot of the kinks. You get a better 
product, and it just improves from there. 

1 think/\BC and Disney both agree that, 
as a franchise, Monday Night Footballis 
preeminent, whether it’s on the air or on 
)'our sweatshirt or on your com])uter. I 
don't think they’ll walk away from it.” 

GO IT ALONE? 

Other sources close lo the OT 
Sports situation speculate that Wliatlcy 


might attempt lo 
purchase the rights 
to the game from 
Disney and continue 
the franchise inde- 
pendently. This 
might not be a bad 
deal, since the game 
is gaining a popular 
following. Wahler 
points to figures 
indicating that MNF 
98 sales w'ere up 65 
percent over last 
year’s s’ersion in the 
first two weeks. Sfie also pointed out 
that the MNF gaming lobby on 
Mplayer has been quite active. 

Pat Vance, a vice president at ABC 
Interactive, remains supportive of the 
OT Sports line of games and, like 
VValiler, frames the unfortunate situation 
in economic temis. 

“Tliere’s consolidation going on here 
as there is all across the industry,” Vance 


saj's. ha\’e three \’er)' strong sports 
games fhi,s fall, which w'ill continue to be 
supported. We did do some downsizing. 
We’re gauging the market at this point, 
and expect that the products are going to 
be successful this Christmas. We expect 
lo caiT)' at least certain games forwand in 
the future. 

“MNF is doing very well,” Vance 
adds. “Its way outperforming w'hat it had 
done last )’ear at this point in time.” 
Vance also expects HEROES 01' 7TtE 
Cridiron lo be a solid contender 
among college fans, and looks for a keen 
competition between iNDV Racing and 


Microsoft’s racing sim. As for MNF, 
Vance expects it to survive tlie financial 
mousetrap that snared OT Sports. 

“If MNF is successful this year,” Vance 
sa)'S,“ 1 don’t think there’s any question 
that it will be back. Tiiere’s absolutely no 
reason to keep it aw'ay. We hav'e a \’ery 
solid engine, and if tlie market rcceis’cs it 
well, tiieres no reason to hold it off.” 

SCROOGE MCOUCK 

As one might imagine, the OT 
Sports situation has spaw'ned some hard 
feelings. One fonner staffer slams 
Disney Interactive for major cost over- 
nins on its edutainment products— 
overmns that necessitated the very 
cost-cutting measures that proved fatal 
to OT Sports. A lack of gamers in key 
management positions at Disney 
Interactive is another criticism leveled 
in the wake of OTs demise. 

“Disney doesn’t understand the 
unique quality of interactive entertain- 
ment,” our source remarks pointedly. 

“And they don't 
want to spend 
money in a 
market they 
don’t under- 
stand.” 

Perhaps the 
most bitter pill 
for members of 
the ABC 
Interactive and 
OT Sports 
teams to swal- 
low was the 
timing of Disney’s decision. Tlic ax fell in 
late September, shortly after MNF 
shipped. W'hile tlie game was gamering 
accolades from users and earning posi- 
tive critical reviews (4.5 stars in CGH'), 
OT Sports was simultaneous!)' lay'ing off 
most of its employees. 

Since OT Sports seems to have 
reached a sudden-death finale worthy 
of its name, the only thing left to do is to 
join in a little ditty in honor of its flag- 
ship product, MNF 98. C’mon, you 
know' the words: 

M-I-C. . .See wu real soon! (hv hope) 
K-E-Y . . . W^]Y? Because we UKEyou!% 





ccw 


MARCH 199B 



JEFF GREEN* GREENSPEAK 


Money for 
Nothing 


green*speak 


Tlie rmtiblui! 
of a 

"lan. 


Or, Why the PGL Heralds the End of the World 


Blah bian 
blah bllh 
blah,<biah 


F 


irst off, I must 
admit that I have 
watched beacli \'ol- 
ieybat! on televi- 
sion. The reasons, I 
think, are obvious. 

I bring this up onl)' 
because tlie Los 
Angeles Times, a 
fine metropolitan 
newspaper, saw fit in a recent article to 
compare niche sports like beach soliey- 
ball with the brand-new Professional 
Gamers’ League (PGL), a harebrained 
scheme by Total Entertainment Network 
(TEN) to turn gaming into some kind of 
“professional" sport, complete with prod- 
uct endorsements and trading cards. Tlie 
PGL alread}’ has its Michael jordan in 
Dennis “Tliresh” Fong, a 20-year-o!d who 
iias garnered media attention, won a 
Ferrari, and now has an agent, all because 
he kicks butt in Qu.\KF;. 

But 1 don’t know. Sure, it sounds 
great, and 1 guess I’d take that Ferrari 
o\'er my dented 1990 Nissan \sith the 
unidentifiable brown stain on tlie pas- 
senger seat. Still, 1 just can’t help feeling 
that — with all due respect to the hard- 
working people putting it together — the 
PGL is one huge case of wishful think- 
ing. Sort of like my fantas)' of )ohn Tesh 
spontaneously combusting. 

■ ■ ■ 

Now I'm not opposed to gaming 
tournaments. Nor am 1 opposed to 
making money from gaming. In fact, I 
hope that Ziff-Davis someday pays the 
CGWeditors enough so that I, too, 
can say F'make money" from gaming. 

But there’s a huge difference between 
watching profe.ssional athletes perform 


feats of athletic prowess and watching a 
bunch ofzombied-out, bug-eyed gamers 
frag each other to death. \Vlio do they 
think would actually be interested in 
w-atching this stuff, buying PGLT-shirts, 
or (and this is truly pathetic) swapping 
PGL trading cards? 

I know it seems as if people will pa)' 
money for anjihing. Lots of people 
attend tractor pulls and the Ice Gapadcs 
and professional bowling tourna- 
ments — and that’s fine. You won't see me 
making any snobbish put-dowiis about 
tire ha)’seeds and )okels who s]3cnd tlicir 
mone)' on that cultural backw-ash. I know 
its also true that ^mers tend to be easil)' 
suckered into spending lots of cash on 
real!)' stupid, money-wasting stuff. But 
even those of us who own plastic I'crengi 
ears (hi Denny!) will attest to having 
some semblance of pride. And paying to 
watch otlx;r people play QU/Udv is a line 
that we as a species cannot afford to cross. 


Finally — and maybe this is just the 
dad in me speaking — it seems to me 
that even worse than the cultural impli- 
cations is the nightmarish idea that some 
impressionable young gamer is going to 
look at this league and think that gaming 
could actually be a wise career choice. 

Irook, kids, let me give it to )ou 
straight; If you’re even remotely thinking 
about quitting school to“be like 'nirc,sh'’ 
and become a'profcssional gamer,” 1 
suggest you shine a flashlight in your ear 
and see if any light comes out the other 
side. Becau.se, to pul it in terms you 
might understand, you’re a fevv' damage 
points shy of a frag. 

Ycs.'llircsh won a Ferrari. Yes, he did 
it by playing QiIAKlv. Yes, he has an agent 


now. But that doesn't 
mean you’re going to get 
tlie same kind of break, no 
matter how big a badass you are. 
Cliances are you'll just get carpal tunnel 
syndrome, a bad back, and a lifelong 
addiction to Taco Bell. 

And don't kid yourself into thinking 
that you're missing out on some sort of 
glamorous lifestyle, either. As someone 
who’s on the inside, let me tell you, the 
gaming life is not all just good times, par- 
ties, and multiplayer naked DtABLO with 
11a Carrere. Believe me, that gels old 
really fast, and Ha is insufferably whiny 
when she gets low on mana. 

Try this vision on for size instead: You, 
alone in your apartment, your hairy gut 
flopping out of your macaroni-and- 
checse-slained DOOM I! T-shirt, shout- 
ing,'?!!! the King of QuvKEl’’ while tlie 
repo guy's haul aw'ay yrour furniture. And 
your girlfriend? Well, fragmaster, guess 
what: She just drove off in a Porsche 911 
with her new boydriend — the one with 
the education and the job and the 
bulging stock portfolio. 

Get the picture? Good. Tlie 
Professional Gamers’ League is not for 
you. Get it out of your head. Wlien you 
say PGL to me, let me retraaslate it for 
you as follows; Please Get a Life. 

Now you kids get oulta here and go do 
your homcwoik. I’m busy' playing QUAKiv 
II here, ftpa’s got a Ferrari to win. % 



Jeff doesn’t rcii!i/.e is ihnl, 
beginning next month, CGW will be 
switching its focus to cover other fomis 
of populor entertninment. You can 
cinnil our neiv tractor pull and Ice 
Capades editor at ihgrcen@y.dconi. 


HH The 
gaming tife 
is not att 
just good 
times, 
parties, and 
muttiptayer 
naked Diablo 
with Tia 
Carrere. 

Betieve me, 
that gets otd 
realty fast. il 






DENNY ATKIN • SIMULATIOH/SPACE 


Going 

for die Gold 

Updated Versions Breathe New Life Into Older Sims 




possible (0 niainliiin aboul 30 frames per 
second in 640x480 mode on a Pentium 
166. If you Inive a faster system and a 3D 
card with a big enough frame buffer 
(such as the IlIVA 128), you can get satis- 
factory pcrfomiance even at 800x600 
rcsolution. 

In addition to lieing fiister, tlx: graphics 
look better as well. Flmnc COW’S no\s' 
uses 16-bit color, w'hich makes haze and 
otlxr effects more impressive, and tlx: 
gime sup]5orts bilinear filtering to smooth 
out ground textures at low altitude. Note 
that j’ou'll need a high-end 3D card to 
take ad\'antagc of tlx; 3D mode. It looks 
and works great on Rendition V2200-, 
3Dfx Voodotr-, and NVIDIA RIVA 128- 
based cards, but won’t function on an AI'I 
All-in-Wonder or 
S3V)rgc-bascd 
Diamond Stealth 
card. 

Also new is a 
multiplayer 
mode, but the 
developers 
weren’t as suc- 
cessful with this 
implementation. 
Wliile it works 
well on a IAN or 
via a direct 
modem dialup, 1 
was unsuccessful 
connecting u.sing the Internet 'I’CP/IP 
.support or K\l.l. Apparently, you can 
pla)' online using Wircpla)', a non- 
Internet multiplayer seiA'ice that is 
offered in the UK and is currently being 
launched in the U.S. by MCI. Rowan 
mContinuEd on pg 247 


in both of these cases, the developers 
went a step further: Tliey also released 
many of the enhaneements of the newer 
versions as free patches for purchasers of 
the original programs. Tliese are the 
kinds of patches gamers like to see. 

DIGGING GOLD 

Since its release, Flying Cori’S has 
seen a number of enhancements, 
including Direcl3D graphics and, more 
recently, multipla)er support. For some 
reason, these patches weren’t a\'ailable at 
press time from publisher Empire’s Web 
site (www.empire-us.com), but you 
can get them from the game’s developer, 
Rowan, at www.cix.co.uk/ ~ rowao 
or ftp://ftp.u-net.com/com/rawan/. 


Of course, the most noticeable 
enhancement to Flmng CORPS is its 
new support for 3D graphics. Wdien 
Flying Corps was released last year, 
you had to run the DOS version to get 
decent frame-rates at higher graphics 
resolutions. With the new 3D support, it’s 


D t’s been years since I've 
seen a significant flight 
simulator that didn’t get 
at least one patch after 
its release. At times, the 
need for [jatches is inex- 
cusable. For example, 
many developers rush 
products out the door— 
blowing that the games 
contain major problems— in order to 
release before the holiday sales season or 
the end of a financial quarter. Other 
games need patches because the devel- 
opers sbmped on the testing budget and 
didn’t test the games with common sj’S- 
tem configurations or a popular 3D 
card. Its a shame how' many programs 
arc released in poor 
shape because of 
shortsighted, bean- 
counter decisions. 

But sometimes a 
company will modi- 
fy a program to 
extend its life and 
add new capabilities 
in order to keep the 
game interesting for 
veteran gamers 
w'hile mabng it 
attractive for new- 
comers. For .some 
title.s, .such as U.S. 

Navy' 1'4gi rii:RS 97, these updates are 
sold as a new version of the program, 
w'ith a cost-reduced iqigrade or rebate 
available for purchasers of the original 
version. ’^Fliis is also the case for major 
updates of Fl YINC CoRi'S Goi.li and 
jKlflGl ril' R 1 11 Pi AIINUM EDI'HON. Bill 


ii Support 
for Voodoo 
graphics 
gives 

JetFighter III 
a completely 
different 
feel, pp 


MARCH 199S 


cew 




Your Source for Ruthless Strategies, Tips, Cheats, and Hacks 


nmmMxm 


Longbow 2 

Helicopter Survival Guide, Part 1: Flight Tactics 

by Tom "KC" Basham 




ou've iindoubtcclK' licarcl the 
cliches about liclicopters. Things 
like,“tliey don’t fly, they beat the 
air into submission,” aren’t far from 
truth. ITclicoptcr flight, which 
rec[uircs excellent coordination 
and immense concentnition, is dif- 
ficult enough, let alone when you 
try to navigate in the dark with 
people shooting at you. 

Tortunatcly, there are things you can do to maxi- 
mize your combat proficiency. 


Unsafe at Any Speed 

Wliiie coffee-table boob and eablcT'V programs 
may proclaim that the AI l-64 Longbow A))ache can 
move well over hSOmph, such high 

SEE THE CGW speeds cause problems. Low altitude flight at break- 
neck s[)ecci is more dangerous, the enemy can more 
easily delect you, and it’s harder to u,se terrain mask- 
ing. If you 're running for your life, .speed is good. In 
most cases, though, there’s no good rea.snn to ever 
take an Apache above 60 knots or so. 

The most common way to gain unwanted speed in LONCBOVV 2 is 
to let your nose get buried. Pointing the no.se downward tilts the disc of 
the rotor blades, which points the thmst back, causing the hcIico|)tcr to 
accelerate. If not properly trimmed, the nose of the simulated AlT-64 
tends to .slowly sink below' the hoiizon. If I’m not paying close atten- 
tion, the no.se can drop several dcgrec.s and the iielico])ter can ])ick u[5 
30 or 40 extra knots of speed before I notice. It's also easy for sim jocb 
traasitioningfromfixed-wingaircrafl to let the nose dro|) — or some- 
times push it down intentionally— w'hcn crossing ridges. If you wxrrk 
the collective pro])erlj', you can ascend, crest the lidge, and descend 
on the other side with few adjustments to your flight attitude. Once 
you've ]3ickcd up unwanted speed, )ou’ve got problems. 1 X)\C^BOU' 2s 
aircraft don’t senib off speed as quickly as tk'ir real-world counter- 
parts, /Mlhough tk .simulated choppers pick U]) speed quickly with tlie 
nose below the horizon, tlfy don't want to slow down after raising tlK.* 
nose an equal distance above the horizon. 


SPEED RACER Burying the nose results in sudden, unwanted acceleration. 


The best way to get rid of unw'anted speed is to pay close atten- 
tion to the machine and never let the speed build up in the first 
place. If you find yourself zipping along at 9U knots, you’ll have to 
do some aggressive maneuvering to scrub off that extra speed. 

Pilch the nose up very high, well above the horizon. In some cases, 
if I find myself moving unreasonably fast, I’ll pitch the nose up and 
ap|)ly collective. Increasing collective increases thmst, which is 
diverted forward because the nose is pulled above the horizon. The 
extra thrust helps .slow' the helicopter dowTi, but will also cause it to 
climb. (And 
w'e all know 
that altitude is 
a bad thing 
when flying 
gunsiiips.) If 
)'ou lower the 
collective, 
you’ll 

de,sccnd, but 
)'ou won’t 
decelerate as 
fast. 


' RIDGE RUNNING Flying along the top of the 
ridge provides a quick escape route into the 
next valley. 


A 


CGW 


MARCH 1998 



STRATECV S, T36^S: LOHCBOW 2 


GAMER’S EDGE 


Three-Ring Circus 

H elicopters can execute a variety of maneuvers, including flying 
backward and sideways. These aren’t merely stunts designed 
to awe airshow crowds. Instead, such antics form a crucial 
part of helicopter warfare. If you can't fly sideways, you’ll never be 
able to fully employ terrain masking. If you can't use terrain mask- 
ing, you won’t last long on the simulated battlefield. 

Sideways flight isn’t that difficult. To practice, start any mission, 
Gently lift off into a hover. Using the pedals, yaw the aircraft until it 
faces a fixed structure (a building, a tent, or the like). Move toward 
that structure until you’re only a few hundred feet away, then re- 
enter a hover. To slip to the left, gently push the cyclic (that is, the 
stick) to the left. You'll probably have to add a little collective to 
prevent your helicopter from descending. The building will appear to 
slide to the right as you slip left. 

If you have some forward motion, side flight becomes a little 
more involved. If the helicopter starts turning, you have to compen- 
sate with the pedals. Suppose you’re behind a hill. You want to 
slide left, unmask, shoot the targets, and then run for home. As you 
slide left, you want to keep the nose pointed toward the enemy so 



HIT THE BRAKES Since the simulated AH-64 doesn't 
bleed speed very welt, be sure to pull the nose well above 
the horizon to decelerate. 


you can fire your weapons as quickly as possi- 
ble. If the nose begins to bank around either 
direction, simply apply the opposite pedal. The 
nose will swing back to the original bearing. 


Over Hill, Over Dale 

Wo all know that attack itclicopter.s rely on terrain mask- 
ing. tlx; act of [jiacing tcmiin featiire.s l)etwcc‘n )’oii and tlx; 
encin)’, A coopcrati\'c hill, mountain, or e\ cn tree can keep 
you alive Mm|)lyby biiK'king llic eneiws view. In most 
cases, Ibe enem)’ can’t shoot \\’!iat Ik can’t sec. 'niereforc, 
wlicn transiting rough terrain, it would seem logical to use 
the geography to its fullest potential and fl>' along the bot- 
tom of the valleys, 'Ibe cannon w'alls fonn a nearly imijreg- 
nable barrier of defense, right? Not e,\acliy. 

Suj^posc you’re flying over very rough terrain toward a 
particular target. 'Hie numcrou.s bills and ridgc.s provide 
several green and inviting valleys to choose from. If you’re 
like me, it won't matter how good the initial reports are, 
whichever valley you choose w ill be overflowing with 
enemy forces. You’ll come around some bend to find 
yourself deluged with shoulder-launched SAMs and AAA. 
If you’re flying along the floor right down the center of the 
canyon and find yourself in this situation, you might as 
well be in the middle of a Kairsas wheat field. You’re stuck 
in al)solutely the least protected spot w-itbin the s'allcy. 

Real-world /'\M-64 pilots arc taught to fly along tlie top of 
a ridge, just below tlx; ridge line. A few feet of mountain 
blocks sight just as well as scseral hundred, with an extra 
benefit: If the current val!e\' becomes too hot, you simply 
apply some collectise, kick in some pcrlal, and cnii-se o\'er 
tlie ridge into the next valley. Whh a few tons of rock 
between )OU and the enem)', you can resume )'Our course. 

Next month; Using your Ixjngbow’s muscle. % 


Unleashing 
Hellfire Upon 
Youp Enemies 

F ielded as a laser.guided weapon, .the AGM-114 Hellfire actually 
accepts several guidance packages, including an Imaging Infrared 
(HR) seekec a Radio FrequeneyfiR seekeg and a millimeter-wave 
seekec Capable of maneuvering at 13g’s at supersonic speed, the mis- 
sile has several launch modes which depend on the seeker type, the 
types of obstacles present, and the number of available designators. 

When using lock-On Before launch (LOBL) to target weapons In an 
environment with multiple designators, the missile can be ripple-fired at 
multiple targets (each marked by a different laser designator) at one- 
second intervals. In a single-designator environment, the missile may 
be rapid-fired at different targets about every eight seconds. 


Using Lock-On After Launch (LOAL) mode, the missile will either clear 
high (LOAL-H) or low (LOAL-L) obstacles while seeking the ended laser 
designation. After locking on, the missile dives and strikes the target 






fSAMER’S EDGE 


STRATECV & TIPS ^ 


Jedi Knight 

Uncover the Valley’s Secrets in Part II of Our Tip Guide 



by Thierry Nguyen 

I ast month, \vc took you tliroiigli 
ciglil levels on the first disc of Jedi 
Knigi ri' and showed you how to 
build up your reserve of Force Stars. 
'Ihis issue, we take you through all 
the secrets of the second disc, so 
that by the time )'ou meet Jerec, 
you’ll be a jedi Lord with tlie full fury of the 
Force on your side. 


9: Fuel Station Launch 

Secrel One: Near the beginning of this level, 
you’ll have to get by a large pipe. Before ton 
jnm[> dowii from the pi[)e, walk along the 
edge to the right. Tlicre, you'll find the level’s 
first secret. 

Sneret Two: After getting the yellow ke\', 
you’ll start the fuel-tank puzzle. Use tiie ke_v 
to o[)en the door, w alk down to the left side, 
and Force Jump to the top of the bunker at 
the end of the ledge. 

Secret Three: In the bunker, there is a 




12: Escape with thepap 

S ecret One: Take the elevator down to the conveyer belt 
area. As you get off the elevator, there should be a couple 
of large crates. Behind these crates is a secret room. 
Secret llMo: Take ffie conveyer belt to ‘As destination: the room 
filled with large boxes. Make your way to the upper level, take 
out the sentry gun in the ceiling, and look for an alcove across 
the way. Force Jump to it. 

Secret Three: Near Secret IWo is a cubbyhole set into a wall. A 
rusty grate covers it. Make your way to the grate and slice it 
open with your lightsabec 

Secret Four: Near the eievatoi; you can see a large crate near a 
wall. Squeeze into the area between the crate and the umll and 
look for a breakable section of the crate. Cut it open wifii yq^ 
lightsaber and go in. 


ccw 


MARCH 


STRATEGY & TIPS! JEPI KHICHT 


GAMER’S EDGE 



tiirboiift that drops dowTi. lake the lift, and when you exit, look up and to the left. 
You should sec a small cubb)-holc; junijjing into this hole leads to a secret. 

Secret Four; As you solve the fuel-tank puzzle, )ou’ll enter a crawl space (just 
before the wrench) filled with ugnaught.s. Mnd the door in the middle level of this 
area, liini on your light, and look toward the u])per left for another cubbyhole. 
Secret Five: Once you solve the hiel-tank puzzle, you'll take an elevator down. 
Stay on it for the return trijj back u]). After it reaches the floor you came from, it 
will move uj) another level to a secret area. 

Secret Six: Near Secret Five is a room with a few barrels in the comer. Jump on 
top of them and make your way to the cubbyhole near the to[> of the u'all. 

Secret Seven: After nabbing Secret Six, go back down and destroy those barrels 
to uncover another cubb)'hole. 

Secret Eight: Destroy all six defense cannons anti then blow up the wall that’s 
o[)po.site the door. 

Secret Nine; Move to the right fmm Secret Right and jum]3 over the large ])ipc 
on your right. After w'alking along the wall, you should find yourself in a little hole. 
Secret Ten: When you reach the end of the tunnels, turn on your light. Go under 
the overhang. Look up and to the left to find a small alcove tueked aw'ay. 


17: The Valley Tower Ascent 

Secret One: After entering the main building and 
going up the elevator, you’ll be in a room that 
has two large fuel tanks in a comer. Destroy the 
fuel tanks to uncover the hallway hidden behind 
them. 

Secret Two: The next secret is in the gravity-lift 
area with the green light. If you turn on the lift, 
you can ride the crates up to the top ledge, 
where the secret lies. If you didn’t turn it on, 
you’ll need to hop across some ledges in order to 
make your way to the top. 

Secret Three: You’ll reach a wind tunnel that nor- 
mally pushes you off the catwalk and into a 
canyonlike area. With proper timing and use of 
Force Speed, you can make your way to the base 
of the tunnel and into Secret Threa 
Secret Four: After moving from the large wind 
tunnel into the canyon, you should enter a room 
filled with fuel tanka Destroy these fuel tanks to 
uncover the hole hidden in the floor. 

Secret Five: There is one last wind tunnel that 
shoots you upward to your final objectiva As you 
rise Uirough the wind tunnel, try to move forward 
so that you stop in the midsection of Die tunnel. 
You can then climb up the wall and into a small 
cave by the sida 

Secret Six: Right across from Secret Five is 
another cava Just go around the wind tunnel, 
discover the secret, and hop back in to complete 
the level. 


10: 8t88's Reward 

Secret One: Wlien you enter the ship nc;ir 
tlie beginning of the level, you’ll ascend 
some stairs. Behind these stairs is this levels 
first secret area. 

Secret Two: You’ll reach a room with a 
couple of elevators. Take the one down to 
the cargo room full of crates. Jump on top 
of the crates. \ou’ll see that one is under a 
hole in the ceiling. 

Secret Three: After breaking into the fan, 
follow the ledge around it before going in. 
Tucked away on the other side is a secret 
room. 

Secret Four; \Mien you’re in tlic fan try-ing 



MARCH 1998 


c< w 


A 


STRATEGY & TIPS; JEDI KHIGHT 



'IJjij iu^i uj ijjy JyjJj 


Secret One: Jump into the river and start swimming 
around. Soon you’ii pass under a rock bridge. Just 
beyond the bridge is a hole into which you can jump, 
inside is a small ledge and the first secret area. 

Secret Two: At one point you’ll be crossing a bridge 
flanked by two sentry guns. Destroy them both, then 
walk up to the spot where the left gun was. Behind the 
gun is a secret alcove. 

Secret Three: You’ll be going into a bunker to flip the 
last switch that shuts off the force field. Before taking 
the elevator that leads to the switch, 
move into the 


small room on the right. Destroy the two fuel containers 
to open the grate below them. 

Secret Four: Get past the first force field, then take a 
dive Into the pool. Take the first tunnel on the right and 
follow it to a slanted ramp against the wall. You can 
spot the alcove just above the ramp. Use either Force 
Speed or Force Jump to make your way to it. 

Secret Five: Continue swimming downriver until you’re 
taken over a waterfall. Turn yourself against the current 
and keep an eye out for the alcove within the wall. It’s 
on your right as you face the waterfall. 

Secret Six: Make your way to the area with the large 
body of water and several sentry guns. Before going up 
the ramp to the elevator, look for an alcove. It should be 
situated above the water but below the ramp. Use Force 
Jump from the water to hop in. 

Secret Seven: You'll soon take an elevator down to a 
room that opens up to a bridge with an attendant 
AT-ST walker. Before you take on the AT-ST and 
f , cross the bridge, go back Into the room and 

look for two stacked crates. Jump 
^ to the top and you should 

" T ^ see a small alcove for 

. v,«; the final secret. 


to get into llie reiittor core, you’ll see a variety of cicacl-cnci ducts. One 
duel just beyond the door of the reactor core is the secret. 

Secret Five: 'Ilie secret here is another duct off to one side (Secrets Four 
and luve arc actually next to each other). 

Secret Six; Wlicn you reach the bottom of the reactor core, open the 
grate with your lightsaber. As you make your u'ay dow'ti the tunnel, turn 
the light on and move to the left. Ilie path leads to an offshoot tunnel 
and the last secret in this level. 


18: Descent Into the Valley 

Secret One: Co down the first elcrator and drop onto the floor with the 
cargo box. 'I here is a small lurbolift in that arca.’liikc it up and you 
sboiitd sec a small hole acro.ss the way. 

Secret Two: brom Secret One, yon can go into a Iniincl leading to a 


GAMER’S EDGE 


MARCH 1998 



STS^ATECT a T3PS. JEDI KNIGHT 


GAMER’S EDGE 





BRING DOWN THE WALLS After the three green switches, destroy this wall 
in the rocky hallway of Level 18. 


LEAP OF FAITH Make your way up to this area in Level 19, and you’re near 
three secrets already. 


room with a door on one .side and a rainp on the other, i/rok 
up to the ledge above yon and use Force jump to get there. 
Secret Three: You’ll soon come across a room with a rani]) 
and a large hole decorated with a hlack-and-yellow' hazard 
border. Go (o the base of the ramp, Uirn .so that yon face the 
entrance yon came in, and look up. Use I'brcc )nmp to reach 
that secret alcove. 

Secret Four: After discovering Secret 'Ihrec, return to the first 
ramp. Before going up, go around and under the ramp to find 
a broken panel. Destroy the panel, hut keep a .safe distance; it 
will explode. 

Secret Five: At one point in the level, you’ll walk past three 
green .sisitches. After going clown the nearby elcwator, s ou'll 
end up in a rocky area. As jon mo\’c down this rock)’ area, 
keep an eye on the left side. Some cracks on the wall should 
gi\'e away \et another secret. 

Secret Six: Walk down (he halKvavaiul make )(>ur way ton 
room filled with crates. Ixiok around and you’ll .see another 
cracked w'all. Blow it u[) to get at the secret area. 

Secret Seven: 1 .^iler on, you'll reach a very narrow' ledge 
marked with hazard colors. Follow this ledge alt the way to the 
end for the final secret. 


19: The Valley of the Jedi 

Secret One: Take the first elevator to the floor with the two 
Stonntroopers. Hop behind the crates in the back to discover 
the first secret. 

Secret Two: Wdien ion reach the hotlom floor, walk outside 
and circle around until you reach the lower of the two jutting 
ledges. Jump from the lower ledge to the higher ledge for the 
second secret. 

Secret Three: From that .same ledge, look up and you .should 
sec a small alcove tucked aw'a)’ in the rocks. 

Secret Four: In this same area, there’s a w'indow' with a shield 
pow'cr-np on it. Get off the ledge, stand outside the window', 
and h’orcejump to it. 

Secret Five: 'take the large turholift down, get off, and send it 
back up. Gollecl the goodies underneath. 

Secret Six: After pa.ssing by the drill, son’ll go dow-n a circular 
hallwa)- leading to the right. At the point w'hcre S’ou must go 
left, turn riglit to see the cracked dead-end w all. Dcstro\' it. 
Secret Seven: wiicn )0U get to the room with the gray ramjD, 
look for the cracked wall near!))' and destro)' it. 

Secret Eight: Wdien you enter the area with tlie ropes and 
iv’cighLs, don’t cut the first ro[)e. Make \'our wa\’ to the second 
counlenvcighl and look along the wall. 1 lore is another break- 
able section. 'Ihen solve the puzzle at )our leisure. 

With all tlicsc secrets rc\'calcd to you, you should ha\'e the 
necessary comjjlemcnt of l^’orcc Stars to realize the full pow- 
ers of the Force. Defeat jcrcc for l.ight or Dark, and keep your 
lightsaher skills sharp until I .ucasArts upcoming expansion 
disc, MYsnaiiKS Of'ii IK Sni i. S 


GAMER’S EDGE 

imHBino 


Age of Empires 




The Power of Religion 

P riests are wiidcard units that can turn the tide of battia The first 
rule in using priests is to use them en massa Build multiple temples 
and crank out several priests. Create groups of three so that they 
can concentrate their conversion efforts to increase tiieir success rata 
Don’t create huge groups, though, because all the priests will waste their 
faith levels. 


► HOLY CONVERSIONS, BATMAN! Research all the priest upgrades; 
They can become your most powerfci units. 


This Means War! 

by Elliott Chin 

I iist iiionth, I walked )Ou thn)iigli 
the most efficient manner of build- 
ing a robust empire and sound 
in(r.i.slructiirc. Unfortunately, con- 
quest of the world isn’t often 
acliicv'cd without military confliel, 
'Iliis month’s strategies focus on 
the nitty-gritty of combat — preparation 
and engagement — becausewe all know 
that it’s al\s'a)5 more satisfying to uttedy 
destroy a foe than to beat him w ith a 
peaceful Wonder. 


The Basics 


Before engaging in combat, it’s a good 
idea to mo\'e your troops to one central 
location and then dhidc tlx:m bj' type, 
such as cavalry, infantry-, archers, and catapults. 'Flren, using the Ctrl 
and number keys, a.s,sign a number to each group. Wlien you need to 
issue commands to a group of imil.s, you simply hit tlie appropriate 
number key, u'hicli automatically selects that group’s units, ’^Ihis laclic is 
especially' useful if enemy units .swann your attack force. If you band 
box your whole force and try- to issue commands that way, you might 
select and send both ardors and infantry to attack, say; the enemy's ele- 
phants. You should send the infantry to lake on tire pachydemis and 
draw' tire arelrcrs back to delir er ranged fire, '16 do that, all you need to 
do is hit the number key for the infantry, target the elephants, and then 
cjuickly iiil the number key corresponding to the archers. You could 
then )rull ihem a safe distance away aird attack the elephants. 

Grou]ring units prior to an offensive also allow's you to belter coor- 
dinate a combined-arms attack. You can group a small diversionary' 
force to assail an enemys walls, and then hit the number key to bring 
in tire arcliers and, later, the catapults, all w-ithout having to move the 
screen from the targeted wall. Combined w-ith the use of waypoints, 


groupings can make your military' campaigns much more efficient. 

Remember to scout the map early. Its imperative that you find out 
w'hcrc your eiremics’ empires are and where excess resources are 
located. It’s also important to find potential bottlenecks w'here you can 
erect defenses as w'cll as vulnerable points that you can use for 
ambushes. Its a good idea to create and send out tw-o clubmen early in 
the game. Tliey ’ll derive the ordinary benefits of early scouting, but if 
they find an enemy' camp, they can also do some cmcial damage to 
the other player at this early juncture of the game. 




STRATEOV & TIPS; AGE OF EMPIRES 




GAMER’S EDGE 


Skirmishers and Upgrading 

Oiice )Ou’ve foimcl the other players, start 
harassing them with skinnishers. In the Stone 
Age. j'our clubmen scouts can pick off a few 
enemy villagers. Once you mo\'c to the Tool 
Age, send two or tiiree scouts to liarass the 
enemy camps. Scouts will reach the enemy 
faster than axemen, and speed is of the 
essence, since \oii don’t want to give the 
enemj' time to u])grdde his defenses before 
you attack him again. In the Bronze Age, you 
can send a small grouj) of cavalr)' to harass 
the enemy. 

If you stick to small parties of three to 
four, these efforts shouldn't impact your 
own growth too negatively. Mowever, by tar- 
geting villagers, houses, and farms, your skir- 
mishers can stunt your enemy’s growlh quite 
significantly At the \ ery least, you’ll force 
him to divert serious resources to both 
rebuilding what you destroy and to building 
adequate defenses. 

/Wthcr aspect of the game is just as 
important as scouting and early engagement: 
upgrading your units. 'Ihis is especially 
important if you are going to harass the 
enemy early on. Decide on which unit t)'pes 
you want to use as skinnishers, and then 
research weapon- and armor-upgrades for 
each of those unit types. 

For example, when using archers, it is vital 
to research ballistics once you have access to 
it. Woodworking also helps by gi\ ing )ou 
increased bow-rangc. 



THIS IS HOW ITS DONE You can storm enemy fortifications by using 
a combined force of catapults and horse archers to wipe out the 
enemy's catapults and units. 


The Wonder of It All 

If You Build It, You Will Win 

On larger maps, especially with multiple players, it’s hard to achieve a military 
victory. In these cases, a Wonder victory is your best bet for winning. Here are 
some tips for Wonder construction. 

First, don’t build a Wonder unless you can defend it. Make sure you have enough 
stone to support several towers and walls for guarding your Wonder once you finish 
building it. 

Once you start the task, don’t just leave the construction to one lone villager. 
Concentrate all of your villagers on the construction, because each one will quicken 
the Wonder’s completion. This tactic Is especially Important if you are racing with 
another player to finish a Wonder. If you have enough workers on the project, you 
could beat your opponent even if he starts building first. 

Once you’ve built the Wonder, close it off with a ring of walls and towers. Keep 
some villagers within the walls to repair the Wonder in the event that it comes 
under attack. Keep a few cavalry units handy on the outside of this wall to destroy 
any incoming catapults that might come to teke out your Wonder. Also keep some 
catapults inside the wall as added muscle. Catapults will spot and attack units that 
are out of the towers’ range. Keep archers around to shore up your defenses. 

Sunder the Wonder 

if you need to destroy your opponent’s Wonder, then you need to proceed quickly, 
but cautiously. Once you get the message that someone has started constructing a 
Wonder, it’s time to call a conference with the other players and cease hostilities. 
Nothing benefits the Wonder-holding player more than having his enemies divided 
against him. 

Once you get the first message, start building a large force. Don’t panic, because 
you have at least 15 minutes to prep your attack force and move in. 

Assuming you are relatively free to build an invasion force, start concentrating on 
horse archers and catapults. It’s not so essential that you have cavalry and infantry 
in your Wonder-smashing force. Make sure you group your units by type, and then 
move to the walls and towers guarding the enemy Wonder. Although catapults will 
be Important, the horse archers are key to taking down whatever troops are waiting 
inside or outside the Wonder’s protective wall. 

Let’s assume that the other player is smart enough to have a mix of catapults, 
archers, and cavalry— backed up by towers— guarding his 
Wonder. Your catapults and horse archers should target the 
enemy catapults first. Once they are destroyed, Immediately 
target the enemy towers with your catapults. The archers 
should attack enemy archers and then cavalry or infantry. 

Only after you’ve cleared the area of enemy troops and towers 
should you destroy the enemy walls. Finally, move in with your 
entire invasion force and take out the Wonder. The key is to 
use the enemy’s wall to your advantage. Don’t break it down 
early because then you’ll let loose his cavalry to pick apart 
your band of catapults and horse archers. Simply proceed 
methodically and ignore the compulsion to race through the 
enemy’s defenses. 

On the opposite end of this, the player protecting the 
, . Wonder might be better off deleting his own walls and mass- 

0 ca ions y using troops to destroy the enemy’s relatively fragile cata- 

UowIpBOulthe p„|b and horse archers. 


SYRATEiSV & TIPS; AGE OF EMPIRES 



GAMER’S EDGE 




How or What 
Do You Fight? 

Once )'<)u’vt; decided lo bring 
your full military might to bear on 
yoiiroppoiicnt, it’s time to start 
lliinking about your supply lines. 

It takes too mucb time to build an 
anny in your towTi and then move 
it to your foes town. Once you've 
committed to an assault, send a 
few' villagers to your enemys town 
pcri])liery and build some military 
buildings. Co for two or tiirec sta- 
bles and archery ranges, as well as 
a few siege workshops and tem- 
ples. 'ibu can then crank out 
tmops and have them ready at the 
front lines immediately. You 
.should also have the villagers 
build a few towers to guard this military camp. 

Once you start attacking or harassing the 
enemy, there are certain targets that ahvays 
take precedence. After clearing awa)’ the 
enemy’s immediate defenders and towers, go 
for his villagers and houses. It’s really not 
worth it to attack military buildings at this 
point, liy destroying villagers and houses, you 
prevent your foe from gathering resources 
that he needs lo rebuild his army, and you 
lower his unit limit, forcing him to build 
houses rather than new troops. You should 
also attack the low-hit-point farms, which 
makes your foe’s rate of food product ion 
decline. Plus, he will need to devote 75 wood 
to rebuilding each faiTu. 


WAR MACHINE When you decide that it’s time for war start building multiple military buildings near enemy 
borders. 


After you’ve cleared away Ibcsc taigcls, 
you can move on lo military buildings. 'I be 
military building that lakes precedence over 
all others is the temple. Hiis vile building 
spawns the annoying priest unit, which can 
turn your own troo[)s against you. Destroy it 
before all other buildings. After you’ve 
destroyed the temple, move on to the siege 
work.sh()|).s, academics, stables, barracks, and 
archery ranges. 

On Offense and Defense 

'nierc are many adsantages to going on 
tlie offensive. You can locale your opponcnls 
early on, stunt their growth, and alter their 
playing strategy. You can also stamp them 


Elephants; The Great Dehate 

Y ou might have noticed that I don't mention using elephants in this article. That’s because I never 
use them. It’s been written elsewhere that elephants and elephant archers are the ultimate units. 
They do have tremendous hit points and do a good 
deal of damage. Howeven on the flip side, they 
are incredibly expensive, they can't upgrade 
their attack strengths, and they’re very 
slow. If I have to face elephants, 

I usually counter them with upgraded 
academy units. I’m not saying that 
elephants shouldn’t be used; I just 
find horse-based units more eco- 
nomical and efficient. 


out of the game early if you arc really aggres- 
sive. If you embark on this strategy, the bcsl 
units to use in your sweep are upgraded 
cavalry units and hor.se archers. Both arc 
quick, and horse archers provide devastating 
fire support for the powerful cavalr)' units, 
{['or dismantling enemy w'alls and protective 
(ow'crs, follow' the guidelines for razing 
enemy Wonder defenses in the“Woiider of ll 
yXll” sidebar.) 

A defensive stance, though, isn’t a bad 
.strategy, particularly if you play civilizations 
w'ith production bonuses, such as the Shang, 
A,ssyrian, and Ymiato. In thc.se cases, 
research walls and lowers quickly, and build 
an archery range and a siege workshop lo 
supplement your stationary defenses w'itii 
mobile, ranged units. Academy units arc also 
excellent for defense, due lo their powerful 
attack and high hit-points. 

Do not erect protective w'alLs right next lo 
towers. Leave about five tiles of space 
between the lowers and walls, and place 
archers immediately behind the wall lo fire 
at incoming catapults and troops. Multiple 
levels of W'alls (stacking them two tiles 
thick), is also great for defense because it 
buys you more lime lo w'hiltle aw'ay at the 
enemy with your archers and lowers while 
he’s trying lo hack ihrough yourbarracades. 

If you follow' the, sc guidelines on the art 
of war in Agk OI' Lmi’IRKS, you should have 
no problem desfro)’ing any foe ! ‘t 




MARCH 1998 


DENNY ATKIN 



»>Conlinuecl from pg 237 
was still working on the program as this 
article went to press, so perhaps they’ll 
get theTCP/lPsiipport worked out. But 
for the lime being, lion 'I buy Ft YINC 
Gotti’S G()I.O just for Internet play. 

Bnlh of these features, as well an 
improved viewsy'stem, smarter AI, and 
support for the GH Force ¥X joystick, 
are available in the patch. Along with 
two new planes (a I'reneh Spad and the 
I'okkcr DVll), the biggest improvement 
in the Cot,n version is a full-featured, 
easy-to-use editor that allows you to 
create not only new single missions, but 
also entire campaigns. You'll find nine 
new niLssions and a 12-mission cam- 
paign included as examples, and the 
editor will allow you to fly the user-cre- 
ated missions that are sure to pop up on 
the Inteniel soon. 

I'lYtNG Gotti’S Gol.n retails for 
$44.95, but current I'YviNC. GoitPS 
owners can upgrade to ['’I.YING GORPS 
Coi.l') by sending $15 to F.inpire 
Interactive, 5S0 California Street, 

San Francisco, GA 94104; by calling 
(415) 439-4854; or by emailing 
support (l'>cinpire-us,com. 

RAPTOR REBORN 

Mission Studios has followed a simitar 
model with its JkiFic.i rU'R 111 F-22 
Riiptor simulation — a free patch that 
adds 319 support and other features, 
along with a commercial add-on with 
new missions and a mission editor, 

Jl':i'l''ltai'ir;it 111 is an MS-DOS pro- 
gram, so Direet3D support isn’t an 
option. Instead, the patch adds support 


for 301$: Voodoo-based 
(but not )’ct Voodoo Bush) 
gra|)hics cards. A while 
back, Mission also 
announced that support 
was planned for Rendition 
Vcritc-bascd cards. Ibal 
hasn’t happened yet, 
though Mission says its still 
in the works. 

As you’d expect, 3Dfx 
card users are treated to 
much more attractive 
graphics. Cloud and ha/c 
effects are nothing short of s|)eetacular, 
and aircraft and terrain look much bet- 
ter, The bluest improvement, though, is 
in the sense of speed. Wth the original 
s'crsion of the siin, }'ou had to am the 
game at a fairl}' low resolution to get a 
smooth frame rate. Now; gra[Dhics 
smoothly flow b}' on 3Dfx-equipped sy's- 
tems — flying low near mountains is 
brcatlilakingly real. 'Ihcre’s also a frame- 
rate boost on MMX sj'stcms, but its not 
as dramatic. 

'Tile flight models, while still simpler 
than those in l’-22 llM’I'GR and l'’-22 AlR 
DomiN/XiN'CK Fici \m\, are somewhat 
improved. High-altitude perfonnanee is 
more authentic, and rudders are now 
realistically ineffective at high speeds, 
’^largeting has been improved with the 
ability to designate ground targets and a 
wamingX that lets you know when a 
missile is out of its firing envelope. 

'lire most noticeable change to the 
sim engine is 
the addition of 
the F-i4 
Tomcat to the 
stable of aircraft 
you can fl)’. 

Equipped with 
the long-range 
Phoenix mis- 
sile. Tomcats 
are great for 
knocking out 
bombers before 
they can 
become a 
threat to your 
carrier group. 


All of these features are available in 
the free patch. Ifyou purchase the 
Pi.tiiN'UM FnrnoN, you also get new' 
campaigns (over 200 missions) and 
secner)' areas (20 million square miles, 
including Alaska, China, Korea, Japan, 
and'liukcy).’nic PiAiiNiiM F,DrnON 
includes every mission from the jl'l- 
liKIt III campaign disc, as well. 

'Ihcrc’s also an in-depth, fairly easy-to- 
use editor that lets you create very elabo- 
rate missinn,s. With all of the mission 
conditions (which you can set u|d) and 
the wide range of scenery areas available, 
1 expect to see some very interesting 
missions popping up on the Net soon. 

Thercs still room for improvement, 
though, ’ 1 he action-oriented iKl'Fict-riER 
scries cries out for mu]li[)layer supjxrrt; 
and, of course, a Whidows 95-nati\'e exe- 
cutable would be welcome as w ell. 

’ I here’s still no w<i)' to get an external s'iew' 
of otlwr planes in tire sim. And tlx; sim 
still pauses wlien it loads scenciy unless 
)ou manually cop)' CD files to tlie hard 
disk— MNsion Studios needs to include 
an option to automatically preload tlic 
a[r|m)priale scenery area before a mission 
ifyou have the hard-drive space, a la 
I/)NGIK)\v2, 

]i‘:i'l''iGii'ii’;Rlli PiAiiNUM EnrnoN 
sells for $35, Various ipgradcs for owners 
ofJi-rFlGiril'Rllland the)FIll 
Fni iangkI) Gamraign CD are available 
and range hum $l() to $20. 1'br upgrade 
details, check out Missions Web site at 
www.missionstudios.com 



TOP GUN The free JetFighter III patch adds the F-14 Tomcat to the stable of planes 
available for you to fly. 



SiMULATION/SPACE 





GAMER’S EDGE ^ 


STRATEGY & TIPS 


Myth 

How to Win at the Most Difficult Strut Game of the Year 

by Greg Fortune 

"The skillful commander takes up a position in which he cannot be defeated and misses no opportunity to overcome his 
enemy. Thus, a victorious army always seeks battle after his plans indicate that victory is possible under them, whereas an 
army destined to defeat fights in the hope of winning but without any planning. " -Sun Tzu, The Art of War 



Eye in the Sky 

You nuisl niiisIcT view coutrol. Since j'oiir 
point of view is not directly overhead and the 
environment usually prevents you from having 
an uninhibited, sialic view of your troops, you 
will need to master perspcclive-rotalion. If you 
arc just panning left and righi, forward and 
backward, you are missing the boat, 'llicse 
methods will gel you lo where the battle is, but 
they won't aulomalically give you llie best 


I f you want lo be successful while 
playing Mvn I, inemori/e this quote. 
Simply to survive in Mvn I re(|uires a 
level of strategy unprecedented in 
real-time games. We'll u.sc these 
pages to help beginning Mvil I play- 
ers who are having trouble making it 
through the levels and keeping more than 
one or two nnils alive. We’ll cover controls, 
tactics, and fomialions, and we’ll walk you 
through the Crouds' Hriclgc mis,sion in order 
to demoiistrale the.se princijdes in action, 
niiis guide will not give you the solutions lo 
all the scenarios in Mvi'l I, but it will provide 
you with the foundation to win them on 
your OW 11 . 


In Control 

If you have to look away from the screen 
to find the button ) ou need, you need to adjust your control setup. 
Some commands, like assigning and recalling custom groupings, can- 
not be reconfigured, so you’ll need to get luscd lo the defaults. For the 
most part, however, )ou can customize the controls. In particular, paj' 
attention to how your view adjirstmcnts are set, as they arc the most 
critical controls to master. 

Gesture clicking is also an important skill to learn if you want lo be 
successful at Mvn I. Its eompo.sed of three steps: (1) clicking where 


d CATCH ME IF YOU CAN You will lose a lot fewsr men if you master 
. the tactic of luring the enemy into your traps with decoys. 


)Ou want the selected units to mo\'c, (2) holding the mouse button 
down while mos’ing the mouse in the direction you want the units to 
face, and (3) moving the mouse and letting go of the butlon.Tlie 
selected units will move to the spot that you’ve indicated, arrange 
theinseh’es in tlie recjuested fomiation (if any), and face in Ihe prede- 
termined direction. 


M yth handles terrain better than any other game I’ve seen. Not only 
does the type and elevation of ground you’re on affect movement 
rates, hut it also modifies your “to-hit” chances, range (for pro- 
jectile and throvirn weapons), and defense values. Almost without excep- 
tion, you should seek out the high ground. In particular, look for areas 
where the enemy’s movement toward you Is hampered or obstructed and 
you have a clear line of fire at them. These are great places for ambushes 
and traps, and they are key to keeping veterans in your army. 




perepective on the action. If you find 
these view controls awkward, try renia]5- 
ping them to different key's. Whatever 
you do, make sure you can move and 
twist the \'iew at will. 

Birds of a Feather 
Ditf Together 

Tlieres one last thing I want to cover 
l)efore we look at our Crow's Bridge 
example: grouping units, llie best thing 
you can do with any of your units is to 
group it with another unit that comple- 
ments its strengths and weaknesses. 
Arciiers should never be left alone with- 
out some sort of eseort, preferaldy war- 
riors or berserks. Melee units benefit 
greatly by having archers around to 
weaken the enemy before they can 
close to fighting range. 

Tlfere is one unit that gets the ugly 
stepchild award, and lhats the dwarf. 
Dwarves are surly, loudmouthed, and 
very careless about where they throw 
their bombs. If you are going to group 
dwarv'es with other unit types, particu- 
larly those that like to suddenly nin out 
into battle, you’d better keep the little 
buyers on a short leash. 



I low do you keep all ofthe.se units 
under control in the middle of a battle? 
Tlie answer lies in custom fomialions. 
'File name is misleading, because these 
formations have nothing to do w'ith how 
units are arranged on the battlefield. 
Custom formations, which 1 call group- 
ings, have to do with assigning hotkeys 
to a group of units. Lets say that I want 
to divide my units into two groups, each 
composed of warriors, archers, and 
dwarves. I’ll assign one hotkey to each 
tactical group and another to each type 
of unit in that group. Now I can select 
an entire group, tell it to move to a spot 
on the map, and quickly organize the 
units in that group by using the hotkeys 
and custom formations. If the enemy is 
clo.sing in and I don’t want the dwarves 
to bomb my own units, I can hit the 
hotkey for the dwarves and then hit the 
sjracebar to tell them to stop. Tiiis is a lot 
more efficient than trying to click on the 
dwarves in the middle of a figlit. 


Look, We Found 
the Bodies! 

Let’s use the first mission, Crow’s 
Bridge, as an example of how' to put all 



Command C Conquer’” 
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Uprising’" 

Total Annihilation’" 

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jWJTn 


MYTH 


fSAMER’SQBGE 


standing Around the Campfire 


I f you don’t use the forma- 
tions in Myth, I’ve got two 
words for you: You’re deail! 
Formations that work are per- 
haps the greatest innovation in 
Myth. Some people will tell you 
that the line formations are the 
only ones you need. Don’t listen 
to these people. Each formation 
has a use, and the better you 
get, the more uses you’ll find 
for them. For example, assume 


these control ti]3s to use. You start tiie 
level with hvo warriors ainniiig aw'ay 
from the bridge; four warriors guarding 
the road; and four warriors, four archers, 
and a dwarf w'aiting in the town square. 
Wliy are the two soldiers at the bridge 
ninning away? Ten thrall just w'alked out 
of the river and have taken up po.sitioiis 
by the bridge- 

first, lets look at the nuip. 'Hie area is 
mostly flat, with some rolling hills to 
cither side of the road. 'Hie hills to the 
left of the road are spotted with trees, 


you have a long line ol warriors 
anti are about to engage a mass 
of thrall. Just before the thrall 
reach your line, change the war- 
riors’ formation to a deep encir- 
clement. The Hanks ol your line 
will wrap around the thrall, 
bringing every wattier to bear 
on the enemy. Try It a couple of 
times and you’ll get an idea of 
just how powerful formations 
can be. 


which {)bstnicl archers, so take up a 
po.sition on the big hill to the right of the 
road. 1 hwc the two w'arriors from the 
bridge join up \\ith the four guarding 
the road, and make a long line at the 
bottom of the hill facing the thrall. Put 
these units in guard mode with the G 
key. Now' tell all the units fn>m town to 
head for the hill. Assign a group hotkey 
for the archers and give the dw'arf his 
own hotkey. 

Once the reinforcements from town 
arrive at the hill, have the archers fonn a 


They're 

Hissing 

Something. 


X X X X-' 

""Wp'® V. .V V. 

tirioc ^ ^ ^ 







Welcome to the Other Side 



IHaflnife 

@EEEQj0lj!IM!iIj7 

Over 100 issues strong, EGM has 
proven time and time again that it’s the 
leader in providing the console gaming 
market with the most accurate and 
respected news, reviews and previews 
around. That, along with a recent 
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refined look, makes E 6 M one of the 
few gaming magazines that not only 
presents information with an edge, but 
also maintains a kick-ass design. Look 
for the current issue of EGM on news- 
stands now with the 
latest info on Nintendo's upcoming title 
Yoshi's Story, along with the coveted 
1997 Readers' Choice Awards. 


Want to take your console gaming to 
the next level? Then rely on EGM' to 
get you there with ease. EGM' is your 
source for the most in-depth strate- 
gies and coolest tips and tricks for all 
of the latest titles. Hardcore gamers 
will enjoy the Gamers' Forum, in addi- 
tion to the variety of genres covered in 
the magazine. Look for the most 
recent issue of EGM', featuring a walk- 
through for Capcom's newest 
PlayStation gem, Resident Evil 2, 
along with strategy for a slew of 
games for the PlayStation, Nintendo 
64 and Saturn. EGM' brings you the 
games by any means necessary. 


CTThfMltnPf, 

Do you consider yourself a die-hard fan 
of the PlayStation? Then why not read 
the sole U.S. magazine that brandishes 
the Sony PlayStation license? The 
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 
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upcoming PlayStation titles, it also tells 
you everything you need to know about 
what's going on in the world of 
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for a look at Tecmo's eye-popping new 
fighter. Dead or Alive, and to find out 
what game is OPM's choice for the Best 
PlayStation Game of 1997. OPM is all a 
PlayStation gamer needs. 


[uititnateteuideTtol 


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Can't get enough of the hottest polygo- 
nal babe to ever grace us with her pres- 
ence? Then The Ultimate Guide to Tomb 
Raider II is the book for you. This one is 
far from being your run-of-the-mill strate- 
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a look at what upcoming technology will 
do for games like Tomb Raider. This is in 
addition to the easy-to-use and in-depth 
Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider II strategy 
guides. Of course, this guide wouldn't he 
complete without an in-depth look at 
Lara Croft herself. Come take a look at 
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Console gaming is where it’s at. Since this is the case, why not keep up to speed 
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magazines we have to offer, let us guide you to the other side. 




KsKrss'isncs 




VIDEO GAME 
GROUP 




MYTH 


GAMER’S EDGE 


short line at the top, facing tlie bridge. By this time, four ghols should have come over 
the bridge to take up positions behind )Ou. 'Ib defend against a flanking attack, ha\ c 
the four warriors from town fonn a long line behind the archers, protecting the 
archers’ rear flank. 

Now comes the fun part. 'Ihe thrall are .slower than any other unit in the game, so 
send your dwarf down to the bridge and use him to attack the thrall standing there. 
Wlien lies almost finished with them, evil reinforcements should arrive from the 
oilier side of the bridge. Draw the dwarf back to the main group, just in front and at 
one end of the main line of warriors. As the new enemies arrive, ha\e )our archers 
concentrate on the soulless, and let ) Our dwarf eat into the thrall as they advance. 

Any thrall that docs manage to make it to tire warriors will be wounded and defense- 
less against your fresh tmops. Before you know it, you’ll be chasing after the tattered 
remains of your attackers. 

'Fliat’s all we have room for this month. If you’re wondering where the niulti[)laycr 
lips are, We left them out for one reason: Tlicrc’s a lot of infomiation online. Jast go 
to WWW.bungie.com, and look for the links to related Web sites. You’ll find a lot of 
great information there. Mapjiy hunting, and may all your dw'arves be veterans! % 



^ 1. ARCHER SANDVWCH With the atcheiB 
I protected from both sides. I can concen-- . 
j tratenn adittie'pyrotechnlcs at the. bridge; •. 
! 2. LOOK! TM FLYING! Thrall are no match 
i for even a single dwarf. 

I 3. OH, HAD ENOUGH, EH? All that's left 
: Is chasing down the few survivDia 





MARCH 1998 









INTUITIVE INTERFACE Select, navigate 
and target vehicles and groups with a mouse dick. 
MULTIPLE VIEWS Strategically command in 
third person or top-down perspectives. 


MULTIPLE SIDES Choose the team you are 
willing to fight and die for -Terran or Vrass. 

MULTIPLAYER Up to 4 players over modem, 
LAN or Internet. 


FULL 3D Fully rendered 3D terrain and vehicles. 

INTELLIGENCE WARFARE satellite link 
and a realistic, active 360° radar system allow you to 
instantly assess the enemy's position. 







TV 

lUMli W 


■ 1 ' ^ 

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'UNREAL' In one seamless tiowing worlQ, race across 
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to use object-oriented level-editor to design your 
own levels. 

GT Interactive (Action) 
Release Dale: 4/98 PC CD $45 


'CH GAMESTICK 14' The comfortable base Is equipped 
with 14 functions, a slide throttle, trim controls, two 
directional pads and patented gimbal. Designed for 
both left and right handed gamers, 

CH Products (Hardware) 
Release Date: NOW PC $60 


'CABIN FEVERiSNOWBOUND' How about a weekend 
stuck In a cabin with nothing to do but play strip poker 
wilh3 gorgeous women? Advanced poker engine and 
hilarious story elements. 

Art Worx (Adult) 
Release Dale: NOW PC CO $34 


'DIVA X: KAORU' The perfect girl awaits you! Crealed 
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Pixis (Adiill) 
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* Specials- Limited Time Only- Offer valid 
from 2/1/98 through 3/14/98 


‘FLYING NIGHTMARES 2' oilers a unique combination 
ol cutting-edge llight simulation and real-time strategy. 
Fully adjustable difficulty levels, control options, and 
graphics preferences allow nearly any player to enjoy 
FN2's challenge, Virtual cockpits increase the realism 

Eidos (Simulation) 
Release Date: 2/98 PC CD $37 


‘FIGHTER SQUADRON:SCREAMIN' DEMONS OVER 
EUROPE' Each of the nine planes flies jusi like its 
real-world counterpart, and contains 30 unique 
scenarios. Planes take damage on a per-polygon basis, 
which realistically and adversely affects handling , 

Activision (Simulation) 
Release Date: NOW PC CD $47 

'FLIGHT UNLIMITED 2’ takes the realism and thrill of 
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and instrument navigation, 6 of the coolest civilian 
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DeHaviland Beaver seaplane. 

Eidos (Simulation) 
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‘DEATHTRAP DUNGEON' This ultimate dungeon thriller 
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Eidos (Action) 
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'QUAKE II' Quake was just loreplay. Now comes Quake 
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'TOMB HAIDER 2' Lara'S back, and better than ever, 
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$4 

Dglkatana 

04/98 

$44 

Golgotha 

03/98 

$46 

Postal 

NOW 

$34 

Terra Vidus 

02/98 

$4 

Dark Forces JdrMssn01/98 

$32 

Gun Metal 

03/98 

$44 

Postal Level Editor 

01/98 

$48 

Tomb Raider 2 

NOW 

S3 

Dark Frees JsdlKnohl NOW 

$50 

Hall Life 

03/98 

$48 

Prey 

08/98 

550 

Tiespassr Jrssic Park 03/98 

$4 

Dark Vengeance 

03/98 

$45 

Hammer Strike 

04.T)8 

$46 

Profiteer 

03/98 

$45 

Turok Dinosr Huntr 2 02/98 

$4 

Dead Unity 

04/98 

$45 

Hexen 2 

NOW 

$47 

Requiem 

04/98 

$46 

Unreal Add-On 

05/98 

SI 

Oeliancs 

NOW 

$39 

Heien 2 Hexmaker 

NOW 

$29 

Shadow Warrior 

NOW 

$42 

Unreal Level Editor 

06/98 

$3 

Duke Nukem Forever 06/98 

$48 

Mortal Revenge 

03/98 

$44 

Shadows ol Empire 

NOW 

S5t 

Vigilance 

01/98 

$4 

1 COMPUTER GAMES: SPORTS 

3D Ultra Mini Gdll 

NOW 

$42 

Hardball 6 

01/96 

$46 

Links LS Valhalla 

NOW 

$17 

PGA Tour Goll Gold 

NOW 

$1 

Baseball Mogul 

NOW 

$44 

Jack Nicklaus Goll 5 

NOW 

$39 

Madden FB 98 

NOW 

$45 

Pro Golf 

02/98 

S-i 

Biunswlcks Bowling 

01/93 

$39 

Legends olF3 98 

NOW 

$39 

NBAAclidn96 

NOW 

$42 

Triple Play 98 

NOW 

$■/ 

Exireme Sireet Hckey 01/98 

$42 

Linkis Course Li0r4 

NOW 

$19 

NBA Live 98 

NOW 

$45 

Trophy Bass Deluxe 

NOW 

$-1 

FIFA Rd Wrid Cup 98 NOW 

$46 

Links LS 98 

NOW 

$33 

NCAA Football 98 

NOW 

$45 

VR Baseball 97 

NOW 

$2 

FPS Baseball 93 

NOW 

$26 

Links LSCng CIryCIbNOW 

$17 

NHL Breakaway 90 

NOW 

$42 

Worldwide Soccer 98 NOW 

s: 

FPS Foolball 98 

NOW 

$29 

Links LS Davis Love 

NOW 

$25 

NHL Hockey 98 

NOW 

$45 

30 Screen Savers 

NOW 

s 

FPS Goll Bundle 

NOW 

$39 

Links LS Oakind HRs 

NOW 

SI7 

NHL Power Play 96 

NOVJ 

$34 

ScreenToyz Lalnna 

NOW 

s 

FPS Skiing 

NOW 

$47 

Links LS Pelican Hii 

NOW 

$17 

PBA Bovrling2 

02/98 

$35 

SeteenToyz Stitch 

NOW 

s 

FPS Trophy Bass RvrsNOW 

$48 

Links LS Valderrama 

NOW 

$17 

PGA Tour Class Cts 1 NOW 

$19 

ScteenToyzTNT Tad 

NOW 

$ 

I COMPUTER GAMES: ADVENTURE 

Abe's Odysee 

NOW 

$44 

Dark Camelot 

03/98 

$46 

Mysl 

NOW 

$23 

Star Trk Sir Fit Acad 

NOW 

$4 

Alien Earth 

03/98 

$46 

Dark Earth 

NOW 

$39 

Neverhood 

NOW 

$50 

Starship Titanic 

02/98 

$4 

Alien Intelligence 

03/98 

$45 

Dawn ol Darkness 

03/93 

$44 

Obsidian 

NOW 

$35 

StrTrkScrtVIcn Fry 

03/98 

$4 

Armed and Delirious 

NOW 

$45 

Demon Isle 

01/99 

$48 

Ol Light Darkness 

02/98 

S‘t5 

Temuiin 

NOW 

$4 

Ashoron'sCail 

02/96 

$48 

Freddi 3 

02/98 

$29 

Overseer 

01/93 

$43 

Trial 

01/98 

$4 

Badlands 

02/96 

$48 

Glim Fandango 

06/98 

$43 

Patriot Games 

02/98 

$48 

Twinsen's Odyssey 

NOW 

$4 

Beavis Buttlid Viil S 

NOW 

$29 

Journeyman Pro]ct; 

01/98 

$48 

Redguard 

02/98 

$54 

Ubik 

02/98 

$4 

Black Oalilia 

01/98 

$48 

KQ8:Mask of Eleinily 06/98 

$46 

Return to Krondor 

02/98 

$45 

Waicralt LordolCIns 06/98 

$4 

Blade Runner 

NOW 

$53 

Last Express 

NOW 

$32 

Space Quest 3000 

01/98 

$45 

Zork: Grnd InguisilOf 

NOW 

$4 

Curse ol Monkey Isl 

NOW 

$39 

MTGiOuels Plnswlkrs 02/98 

$46 

Star Trek Birth Fed 

05/98 

$52 

ZorkiNemesIs 

NOW 

$2 

L 




HINT BOOKS 






Age ul Empires 

NOW 

$15 

Dark Forces 2 

NOW 

$16 

Land Loro 2 

NOW 

$14 

Relurn to Krondur 

02/98 

$1 

Baiilespire 

01/98 

$17 

Diablo 

NOW 

$16 

Lords of Magic 

NOW 

St6 

SWAT 2 

02/98 

SI 

Best Action iAicade NOW 

$15 

East Front 

NOW 

$16 

Mechwairior 3 

02/98 

$16 

Sid Meiers GeiiysbuigNOW 

$1 

Gesi Adv & 

NOW 

$15 

Flight Unlimited 2 

NOW 

$16 

Might & Magic 6 

04/98 

$16 

SlmCItyaOOO 

03/98 

SI 

Best Sim Games 

NOW 

$15 

Flying Nightmares 2 

02/98 

$16 

Myst 2: Riven 

NOW 

$16 

Staicrati 

NOW 

SI 

Best Slratgy S War 

NOW 

$15 

Halt Lite 

03/98 

$16 

Mylh 

NOW 

$16 

Steel Panthers 3 

NOW 

SI 

Blade Runner 

NOW 

$18 

Heavy Gear 

NOW 

$16 

Overseer 

NOW 

$16 

Ultima Online 

NOW 

$1 

CivilizalronE 

NOW 

$16 

Heroes U&M 3 

07/98 

$18 

PopuldusB 

03'98 

$16 

riniaai 

04/90 

$1 

Curse dl Monkey Isii 

NOW 

$16 

Hexen 2 

NOW 

$16 

Quake 2 

NOW 

$18 

Wing Commanders 

HOW 

$1 

Daggcriail Chronicles NOW 

$23 

King s Quest 8 

06/98 

$16 

Red Baron 2 

01/98 

$16 

Zork: Grand Inquisitr 

NOW 

$1 

1--^ 



COMPUTER GAMES: ADULT 





Adull Image Lib2t 

NOW 

$29 

Oomin-A-Trn2 

NOW 

$24 

Latin Lust 

NOW 

$24 

Space Sirens 2 

NOW 

S3 

Bankok Beauties 

NOW 

$29 

Dream Machine 2 

NOW 

$49 

Nigntvralch Ini 3 

NOW 

$39 

Ship Fignier 

NOW 

$4 

Busty Babes 4 

NOW 

$39 

Duke Sciewem 

NOW 

$49 

Outpost 69 

NOW 

$40 

Ship Poker Pro 2 

nni</ 

S3 

Cabin Fever 

NOW 

$34 

Elite Models 4 

NOW 

$19 

Romsotl Six Pk 2 

NOW 

$36 

Tabloid Beauhes 

NOW 

$2 

Cclebnty Nudes 

NOW 

$19 

Erotic Playground 

NOW 

$9 

Ropes & Chains 

NOW 

$19 

Tokyo Nightlife 

NOW 

$4 

Crystal Fantasy 

HOW 

$39 

FanlascenesS 

HOW 

$39 

Sex Castle 

NOW 

$29 

llll.nula TftlryA 

NOW 

52 

CyberXperrence 

NOW 

$39 

Giilliiend Donna 

NOW 

$44 

Sex With Asia 

NOW 

$39 

lllt'nlri.cn 



DeepThti Grt4Pk 

NOW 

$49 

Jade Palace 

NOW 

$29 

Sex with Rocky 

NOW 

$42 

Village Coltection 

NOW 

$2 

DivaXNJ 

NOW 

$39 

Japan Interactive 

NOW 

$49 

Seymore Six Pack 

NOW 

$39 

Virgins 3 

NOW 

S3 

Diva X: Kaoru 

NOW 

$39 

La Glue Girl 4 

NOW 

$19 

Shock:The Game 

NOW 

$49 

Virtual Veronica 

NOW 

S4 




ciMrcHiPsi 



Hew 

"Bleases 


Open 24 j 


COMPUTER GAMES: STRATEGY 


tru 

RtifWi 

Pvvv 

Tine 

RtllXIE 

Pnici 

Tmt 

Fin rxw 

Peicc 

Tmi 

RtLEXSC 

Pflicr 

to Six 

01/98 

$35 

Cersairs 

01/98 

$43 

KKND Extreme 

NOW 

$38 

SImSalail 

03/90 

$35 

1830 RR/Rbbr Baron 

1 NDW 

$34 

Creature 

NOW 

$34 

LEDWars 

02/98 

$42 

Soldiers at War 

02/98 

$43 

7lh Legion 

NOW 

$35 

Dark Cblony 

NOW 

$43 

Liberation Day 

02/90 

$36 

Spaceward Hoi 4 

NOW 

$24 

AD$P Birthright 

NOW 

527 

Daik Omen 

03/98 

$39 

Lords Realm 2 

NOW 

$29 

Speed Tribes 

04/98 

$48 

Adhata 3 

NOW 

$45 

Dark Reign Futre War NOW 

$43 

Lords Realm 2 Ex Pk 

; NOW 

$25 

Slai Command Oluxe NOW 

$44 

Admtal Ancient Ships 02/98 

$46 

Dark Reign MP 1 

02/98 

$29 

Lords ol Magic 

NOW 

$39 

Slat Nations 

06/98 

$46 

Advaned Civiluatlon 

NOW 

$39 

Deadlock 2 

02/98 

$46 

M Gaihrng Balltemge NOW 

$36 

Starcialt Expansion 

03^8 

$30 

Allerlile 

NOW 

$29 

Doininion Sloim 

03/98 

$44 

MAX 

NOW 

$19 

Sta retail 

01/98 

$48 

Age ol Empires 

NOW 

$46 

Dune 2 

NOW 

$13 

MAX 2 

03/98 

$48 

S1.irs 

NOW 

$36 

Army Men 

03/98 

$46 

Dungeon Keeper 

NOW 

$39 

Magic Snells ol Anct 

NOW 

$28 

Sl,irship Troopers 

05/98 

$46 

Blood & Magic 

NOW 

$19 

Oungn Kpr Opr DngnsNOW 

$19 

Mass Destruction 

NOW 

$38 

Sleel Legions 

05/98 

$42 

C&C 

NOW 

$29 

Earth 2140 

NOW 

$32 

Master o( Onon 2 

NOW 

$25 

Sleliar Frontier 

06/98 

$44 

C $ C2: Tberium Sn 06/96 

$48 

Emperor Fadng Sum 

; NOW 

$29 

Mechcommander 

06/96 

$48 

Slratdspheie 

02/98 

$46 

C $ C Court Optlioh! 

; NOW 

$22 

Enemy Nalions 

NOW 

$29 

Mission Nexus Prime 01/98 

$48 

Submarine Titans 

05/98 

$44 

C&CGold W95 

NOW 

$39 

Entrepeneur 

NOW 

$38 

Missh FtciCybrslrm 204/98 

$42 

Syndicate Wars 

NOW 

$45 

C&CRAAlIermath 

NOW 

$22 

Evolution 

01/98 

$34 

Navy Strike 

NOW 

$34 

Theme Hospital 

NOW 

$42 

C&CRAChterSlrke NOW 

$21 

Extreme Tactics 

02/98 

$49 

Netstorm 

NOW 

$34 

Tclal Annlhllellon 

NOW 

$39 

C & C Red Alert 

NOW 

$48 

Fantasy General 

NOW 

$34 

New Order 

04/98 

$48 

Tycho Rising 

03/98 

$44 

C & C Sole Survivor 

NOW 

$29 

Fragile Allegiance 

NOW 

$46 

Outpost 2 

NOW 

$34 

Ultimate Civ 2 

03/98 

$48 

Caesar 2 

NOW 

$28 

Freedom In Galaxy 

09/98 

$42 

Pax Imperia 2 

NOW 

$32 

Uprising 

NOW 

$40 

Capitalism Plus 

NOW 

$43 

Frenry 

02/98 

$44 

Plague 

04/98 

$42 

WaiBreeds 

Ot/98 

$48 

Captives 

02/98 

$40 

Heist 

02/98 

$44 

Politika 

NOW 

$43 

WarGames 

02/98 

$46 

Cave Wars 

NOW 

$19 

Heroes MSU 2 

NOW 

$26 

Ragged Ealh 

01/98 

$34 

WarSpotl 

02/98 

$44 

Chaos Island 

01/98 

$46 

Heroes MSM 2 Ex Pk NOW 

$19 

Reach far Stars 2 

02/98 

$48 

Waicratt 2 

NOW 

$25 

Civ 2 Fantasy Worlds NOW 

$27 

Heroes MSM W9S 

NOW 

$19 

Return Fire 

NOW 

$37 

Warciaft2AddQn 

HOW 

$19 

Cwliulion 

NOW 

$19 

Hidden Wats 

01/93 

$48 

Risk 

NOW 

$39 

Warlords 2 DIx 

NOW 

$41 

Civiliuiion 2 

NOW 

$38 

History ol World 

NOW 

$39 

SWAT 2 

01/98 

$48 

Warlords 3 

NOW 

$36 

CIviluallon 2 Seen 

NOW 

$26 

Hollywood Mogul 

NOW 

$39 

Semper FI 

02/90 

$47 

Warwind 2 

NOW 

$34 

Clay Warfate 

02/98 

$45 

Imperialism 

NOW 

$38 

Sentient 

NOW 

$39 

Wisdom ol the Kings 02/98 

$46 

Command HQ 

NOW 

$18 

Impenum Galactica 

NOW 

$32 

Sentinel Returns 

03/90 

$45 

Wooden Ship Iron Mn NOW 

$39 

Cong New World Dix 

NOW 

$24 

Incubation 

NOW 

$39 

Settlers 2 Gold 

NOW 

$38 

Worms 2 

01/98 

$39 

Conguered Kingdoms NOW 

$19 

Infinity War 

NOW 

$46 

Seven Kingdoms 

NOW 

$36 

X-Com Apocalypse 

NOW 

$34 

Conquest Earth 

NOW 

$37 

Jaggd Aflnc OOlyGmeNOW 

$19 

Shattered Nalions 

03/98 

$46 

X-Com Terr Irm Deep NOW 

$19 

Constructor 

NOW 

$42 

Jagged Alliance 2 

03/98 

$48 

Siege 

05/98 

$48 

X-Fire 

02/98 

$46 

r 



COMPUTER GAMES: WAR 


a* . _ 

□ 

Achlung Spillire 

NOW 

$36 

Balllegrnd Waterloo 

NOW 

$28 

Great Battls Alexndr 

HOW 

$32 

Prelude to Waterloo 

NOW 

$39 

Alrika Korps 

04/98 

$42 

Civil War Generals 

NOW 

$48 

Great Buies Napoleon 08/98 

$47 

Srd Meier's Gciiysbig NOW 

$45 

Aide de Camp 2 

NOW 

$44 

Close Combat 2 

NOW 

$46 

Gri Bills ol Hannibal 

NOW 

$36 

Steel Panthers 3 

NOW 

$29 

Battle ol Bulge 

03/98 

$42 

Close Combat 

NOW 

$38 

Harpoon 97 

NOW 

$44 

7ACOPS 98 

02/98 

$40 

Baltlegrnd Anllelam 

NOW 

$29 

DcsveBatUsolWWII NOW 

$42 

Man ol War 

NOW 

$34 

Tank Resistance 202402/98 

$39 

Saitiegrnd Bulge 

NOW 

$26 

East Front 

NOW 

$42 

Napoleon in Russia 

NOW 

$34 

Third Reich 

NOW 

$39 

Baltlegrnd Bull Run 

NOW 

$42 

Fifth Fleet 

NOW 

$39 

Over the Reich 

NOW 

$32 

Tigers on Prowl 2 

NOW 

$42 

Baltlegrnd Gettysbrg 

NOW 

529 

Final Liberation 

NOW 

$42 

Pacific General 

NOW 

$29 

VVlcloiy Bundle 

NOW 

$28 

Balllegihd Mid East 

05/98 

$42 

Flight Commander 2 

NOW 

$39 

Panzer Commander 

06/98 

$45 

Whislling Death 

02/98 

$40 

Balllegrnd Shiloh 

NOW 

$30 

Great Baltics Caesar 

03/98 

$46 

Panzerblitz 

03/90 

$42 

Zulu War 

NOW 

$29 

BOARD GAMES I 

1870 

NOW 

$40 

Saiiieiech 

NOW 

$21 

Reid Command 

NOW 

$30 

Samurai Swords 

NOW 

$35 

ASL Solo Rules 

NOW 

$29 

BreakouiiNpimndy 

NOW 

$23 

Fields ol Glory 

NDW 

$19 

Scrabble Dix 

NOW 

$39 

Adv Souad Leader 

NOW 

$38 

Britannia 

NOW 

$19 

Fire in the East 

NOW 

$58 

Settlers ol Calan 

NOW 

$30 

Adv Third Reich 

NOW 

$38 

Car Wars Deluxe 

NOW 

$21 

Go 

NOW 

$22 

Squad Leader 

NOW 

$23 

Age oIRenaissanc 

NOW 

$42 

Chanceilorsville 

NOW 

$34 

Great War at Seal 

NOW 

$32 

Star fleet Batiies 

NOW 

$25 

Air Baron 

NOW 

$30 

Civil War 

NOW 

$20 

Hannibal 

NOW 

$32 

Third Reich 

HOW 

$19 

Ancient Empires 

NOW 

$29 

Chnliaation 

NOW 

$29 

History ol World 

NOW 

$27 

Titan: The Arena 

HOW 

$17 

Axis & Allies 

NOW 

$35 

Colonial Oiplomcy 

NOW 

$42 

Hobbit Adventure 

NOW 

$29 

Tracks to Titicaca 

NOW 

$42 

A&A Dateline WW2 

NOW 

$14 

Oaysol Decision 2 

NOW 

$42 

Ironsides 

NOW 

$28 

Tiainsport Austria 

NOW 

$17 

Axis & Ally WW2 

NOW 

$38 

Deluxe Diplomacy 

NOW 

$42 

Lionheart 

NOW 

$35 

Viceroys 

NOW 

$22 

Balkan Front 

NOW 

$26 

Die Hanse 

NOW 

$39 

Necromunda 

NOW 

$65 

Warhammer 40K 

NOW 

$65 

Battle lor N Atiica 

NOW 

$32 

Diplomacy 

NOW 

$19 

Rail Baron 

NOW 

$23 

Warhamr fantasy 

NOW 

$65 

Battle Forgitii War 

NOW 

$42 

Empire Builder 

NOW 

$25 

Rebel & Redcoat 2 

NOW 

$25 

We the People 

NOW 

$29 

Bailies olAlexandr 

NOW 

$33 

Empires in Arms 

NOW 

$27 

Robo Rally 

NOW 

$33 

World in Flame Dix 

NOW 

$90 

1 ROLE PLAYING GAMES 1 

ADSD DM Guide 

NOW 

$20 

Conspiracy X 

NOW 

$20 

GURPS Mecha 

NOW 

$15 

Roboicch 

NOW 

$11 

ADSD Monsli Mnl 

NOW 

$20 

Cyberpunk 2020 

NOW 

$17 

Heavy Gear 

NOW 

$25 

Snadowrun 

HOW 

$20 

ADSD Player Hdbk 

NOW 

$26 

Deadiands 

NOW 

$27 

Macross 2 

NOW 

$11 

StaiWais Revised 

NOW 

$25 

AD8D Skill 8 Powr 

NOW 

$17 

Great Rail Wars 

HOW 

$39 

Mage 2nd Ed. 

NOW 

$21 

Toon Deluxe 

NOW 

$16 

ADSD Spell S Mgc 

NOW 

$19 

Eailhdawn 

NOW 

$18 

Mechwairlor 

NOW 

$13 

Traveller 

NOW 

$24 

Ais Magica 4lh Ed 

NOW 

$26 

Fading Suns 

NOW 

$22 

Nephillm 

NOW 

$18 

Vampire Dark Age 

NOW 

$24 

Caliot Cihulhu 

NOW 

$18 

GURPS Auldduel 

NOW 

$15 

Palladium Fanlasy 

NOW 

$20 

Vampire 2nd Ed. 

NOW 

$24 

Changeling 

NOW 

$29 

GURPS Goblins 

NOW 

$18 

Rihs 

NOW 

$21 

Warhamer Fantasy 

NOW 

$19 


COMPUTER GAMES: ROLE PLAYING 


Arena Deluie NOW $47 

Battiesplie NOW $51 

Betrayal In Antara NOW $35 

Buccaneer NOW $34 

Dark Project 02/96 $49 

Oilblo NOW $37 

Olablo 2 07/96 $49 

Diablo Heiitiie NOW $26 

Die By Itie Sword 03/98 $48 

Oia()OilLore2 NOW $36 

Elder Scrolls 2 NOW $39 

EldrScrllsMrrowind 02/98 $54 

ElriC 04/98 $45 

EverQuBsl 04/93 $44 

FP Descent Undarmtn NOW $42 

Falloul NOW $45 


Final Fantasy VII 04/98 $48 
Forsaken 01/98 $39 

Lands Lore GrdnsDst NOW $40 
LegcyKainBldOmn NOW $40 
Realms ol Haunting NOW $39 
Rims Ark ShadwRiva NOW $29 
SepteriaCore 01/98 $48 
Shadows of Deain 03Aia $43 
Star Trail NOW $29 

Star TrV Final Unity NOW $32 
Swords ot Heroes 10/98 $46 
Ultima 8 Pagan NOW $15 
Ultima 9 Ascension 06/98 $62 
Ultima Online NOW $53 
Wiaa/dry 8 04/98 $48 

ardtyGoldW95 NOW $19 


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Source Code 10981 


‘SIMCITY 3000' Immerse yoursell In a total 30 envi- 
ronment with hundreds ol new buildings to choose 
Irom, full navigational control, and sophisticated 
microsimulato/s allowing for delailed control over 
business and other facilities. 

Maxis (Strategy) 

Release Date: 3/98 PC CD $54 
'POPULOUStTME THIRD COMING’ Large strategies can 
be planned and enacted from fully playable global view. 
Various terrain varleties(mountains. oceans, aerial 
views) Impose dillereni challenges on your warriors as 
you lead them Into battle. 

Electronic Arls (Strategy) 

Release Date; 2/98 PC CD $45 
'STAR WARS REBELLION’ A Star Wars fantasy come 
true, with 55 characters and real-time play. Strategy 
portion lets players manage manufacturing, fleet 
deployment and mission assignments, innovative real- 
time 3D tactical component lets players micromanage 


Lucasarts (Strategy) 

Release Date; 2/98 PC CD $52 
'MYTH’ is a tactical level game of fantasy warfare, with 
unprecedented realism and detail. Seasons change 
during the course of the game, affecting tactical deci- 
sions. Real 3D terrain, dynamic lighting, and tricky 
artificial intelligence. 

Bungle (Strategy) 

Release Dale: NOW PC CD $39 
'GOAROIANS; AGENTS OF JUSTICE' The year is 2091. 
You are the head of the Star Council, dedicated to 
bringing order back to the world. Move Ihrough ran- 
domly generated, multi-level, Isometric combat maps 
while fighting pov/erful villians. 

Mlcroprose (Strategy) 

Release Date: 3/98 PC CD $48 
’TEX MURPHYtOVERSEER’ A riveting script and stellar 
cast. High color 30 "Virtual World" environment, movie 
quality 30 fps video, unique characters who respond to 
your words and actions. Two levels ot play, lor expert 
gamers and first-time adventurers^ 

Access (Adventure) . 

Release Dale: NOW 
PC CD 




dventurers.^ 


'PANZER GENERAL M’ contains enhanced multimedia 
footage and scenario briefings. Also, all new cam- 
paigns, play some from the Allied side. New Interactive 
terrain reflects battle damage. Multiplayer support. 

SSI (War) 

Release Date: NOW PC CD $34 
■BALDUR'S GATE’ is set in the legendary Forgotten 
Realms campaign world. Uses a transparent interface 
an gameplay that uses a real-time modification ot the 
ADD rules system. There are over 60 monsters to light, 
you control a party ol six each with unique abilities 
and personas. 

Interplay (Roleplaying) 

Release Dale: NOW PC CD $45 
'OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS’ Once every thousand 
years, gates open between the waking world and ihe 
realms of dream time, offering opportunities to those 
who dare, to save humanity from extinction. Now Is the 
lime to stop catastrophes that could usher in a thou- 
sand years ol darkness. 

Interplay (Adventure) 

Release Date; 2/98 PC CD $45 
'MYST 2':RIVEN will provide an exploration expen- 
ence through a new world filled with 7,000 images, 
over an hour ol animation and original music, requir- 
ing acute skills of observation. 


Release Dale: 


CCD $46 


‘MIGHT & MAGIC VI’ The Mandate ol Heaven, the 
newest M S M edition contains an integral time 
clock with multiple plots and story lines. Unique 'skill 
based' character development and over 1000 miles ol 
virtual terrain! 

3D0/New World (Roleplaying) 

Release Date: 4/98 PC CD $49 
'LANDS OF LORE IT You are Luther, cursed son ol the 
Sorceress of Darkness, exploring treacherous lands in 
search ot ancient magic, a super power that will release 
you Irom your vile birthright. 

Virgin (Roleplaying) 

Release Date: NDW PC CO $48 


MC and discover accepted. Ciiecks held 4 weeks. MtDNEY OROERS UNDER $200 SAME AS CASH. COD $8. Price, availability, otier subject to chanoe at any Iirne. Hei8,ise scli<;i:iii 

sad shlpplno lltries are approximate, not ouaranteed. and suDiect to change at any lime. Hardware orders m.iy reouire additional shlpoino and handling charges. Deleclives replaced wi 

*" — final. Call lor details. Shipping and handling charges calculated on a per order, per shfpinent, and per Item basis. The "per order ch 

n" charge Is charged once lor each item ordered and the "per shipment " charge is charged 

iscriplion starting with the Feb. 1998 issue [while supplies last) ol Compuler Games Sim 


■prodi 
, /and 
include a I 


es Sinm Plus Magazine, lor which $10.00 ol 


tder" charge is ch 
a loyou. Each Un 


u's'mw us'. M ail 

L'UDas 2-3DJJS 

si.on $2 00 

S1 25 $1 QO 

SO 75 S1 00 







Media On™ 


Multimedia Expert 


• ATX Motherboard with 512K cache & USB 

• 32 MB EDO SIMM 

• 3 GB EIDE Hard Drive 

• S3DW/4MBEDORAM 

• Yamaha Sound w/80 Watt Speakers 

• 24XCDROM 

• 1. 44MB TEAC FLOPPY 

• 104 Win95 Keyboard & Mouse 

• 56K FAX Modem 

• Mid-ATX CASE with 235 Watt Power Suppiy 

• Microsoft windows 95 & McAfee VirusScan 

• Intei Pentium® Processor with MMX''’^ Technology 

166MHz $ 975 

200MHz $1075 


Graphic Expert 


• intei AN430TX Motherboard with 51 2K cache & USB 

• 32 MB SDRAM DIMM 

• 3 GB EiDE Hard Drive 

• 3DFX with 6MB EDO RAM 

• Yamaha wavetabie w/200 Watt Speakers 

• 24XCDROM 

• 56K FAX Modem 

• 104 Win95 Keyboard & MS Mouse 

• Mid-ATX CASE with 235 Watt Power Suppiy 

• Microsoft windows 95 & McAfee VS Scan 

• intei Pentium® Processor with MMX™ Technology 

200MHz $1299 

233MHz $1399 


Note, Intel Inside Logo and Pentium are registered trademarks and MMX Is a trademark of Intel Corporation. All other names are properties 
of their respective corporations. Price and specifications are subject to change without notice, Not responsible for typographic errors. Good 
only while supplies last. Monitor Sold Separately. 




Intel AL430LX Motherboard with USB 

32 MB SDRAM DIMM 

3GB EIDE HD 

3D AGP Video w/ 4MB RAM 

Yamaha wavetabie Sound w/200Watt Speakers 

24XCDROM 

56 FAX Modem 

104 Win95 Keyboard & MS Mouse 
Mid-ATX CASE with 235 Watt Power Supply 
Microsoft windows 95 & McAfee VS Scan 
Intel Pentium® II Processor 233MHz S1699 

266MHz S1799 

300MHz $1999 


• Intel AL430LX Motherboard w/USB 

• 64 MB SDRAM DIMM 

• 4 GB Ultra DMA HD 

• 3D AGP with 4MB RAM 

• Yamaha wavetabie Sound w/200Watt Speakers 

• 30XCDROM 

• 56 FAX Modem 

• 104 Win95 Keyboard & Mouse 

• MiD-ATX CASE with 235 Watt Power Supply 

• Microsoft windows 95 & McAfee Virus Scan 

• Intel Pentium® II Processor 

300MHZ $2339 


• 2 years limited warranty / 2 years Labor 




GO TO #102 @ www.cQmputergaming.com/infolink 


J 



pentium^ll 




A MONTHLY SURVEY OF CfilT/ SUBSCRIBERS 


THE COMPUTER GAMING POLL 


I ach month, 2,000 CGW subscribers are selected at random to rate 100 computer games. The results of that poll are combined 
I with the results of previous months to yield a cumulative average for the best plays in gaming. If you receive a ballot, please return 
lit with your ratings so that other gamers and game publishers can benefit from your feedback. 


I 


1 TOP ACTION GAMES 


\ TOP ADVENTURE GAMES 

1 Quake Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity 

id Sottware/Rogue 

8.95 


1 Gabriel Knight 2 

Sierra 

8.21 

2 Quake Pack 1; Scourge of Armagon 

id Software/Ritual 

8.90 


2 The Pandora Directive 

Access 

8.17 

3 Jedl Knight; Dark Forces II 

UcasArts 

8.58 


3 Rama 

Sierra 

7.78 

4 Duke Nukem 30 

3D Realms 

8.26 


4 Twinsen's Odyssey 

Activision 

7.77 

5 Tomb Raider 

Eldos 

8,23 

■ 

5 The Neverhood 

DreamWorks 

7.70 

6 Quake 

id Software 

8.02 


8 Realms of the Haunting 

Interplay 

7.56 

7 The Need for Speed SE 

EA 

7.94 

Li 

7 Circle of Blood 

Virgin 

7.50 

8 Crusader; No Regret 

EA/Origin 

7.72 

■ 

8 Spycraft 

Activision 

7.43 

9 Mote Racer 

EA 

7.65 


9 The Last Express 

Broderbund 

7.32 

to HBKenll 

Activision 

7.60 

■ 

10 Leisure Suit Larry 7 

Sierra 

7.29 



1 You Don't Know Jack II 
Z You Don't Know Jack 
S You Don't Know Jack Movies 

4 You Don't Know Jack Sports 

5 Power Chess 

6 Sierra Poker 

7 - 

8 - 
[ 9 “ 

TO - 


Berkeley Systems 

8.53 

Berkeley Systems 

8.20 

Berkeley Systems 

7.93 

Berkeley Systems 

7,74 

Sierra 

7.37 

Sierra 

6,81 


1 Links LS 

Access 

8.65 

2 NASCAR Racing 2 

Sierra 

8,24 

3 NHL 97 

EA Sports 

8.08 

4 Grand Prix 2 

MicroProse 

7.97 

5 NBA Uve 97 

EA Sports 

7.96 

6 Tripieplay 98 

EA Sports 

7.82 

7 Jack NIcklaus 4 

Accolade 

7.78 

8 Tr^ieplay 87 

EA Sports 

7,48 

8 PGA Tour Pro 

EA Sports 

7.41 

10 NBA Uvo 98 

EA Sports 

7.37 



TOP ROLE-PLAYING GAMES 


Blizzard 8.66 

Bethesda 7.36 

Origin 7.24 

New World Computing 7.10 


ITOP SIMULATION/SPACE COMBAT GAMES 



1 Wing Commander IV 

EA/Origin 

8.29 

2 AH-64 Longhow 

EA/Origin 

8.09 

3 MechWarrIor 2; Mercenaries 

Activision 

8.00 

4 Flight Simulator 98 

Microsoft 

7.92 

S Silent Hunter 

SSI 

7,85 

6 U.S. Marine Fighters 

EA 

7.81 

7 EFZODO 

Ocean 

7,59 

8 D.S. Navy Fighters 

EA 

7.50 

9 Advanced Tactical Fighters 

EA 

7.39 

ID X'Winu vs. TIE FInftter 

LucasArts 

7,33 


in TOP STRATEGY GAMES 

1 Heroes 11; Price of Loyalty 

New World Computing 9.10 

2 WarCraft 11 Expansion Dish 

Blizzard 

8.85 

3 Total Annihilation 

GT Interactive 

8.80 

4 WarCraft 11 

Blizzard 

8.74 

5 Heroes II 

New World Computing 8,73 

6 Red Alert 

Virgin/Westwood 

8.72 

7 Civilization II 

MicroProse 

8.71 

B Red Alert; Counterstrike 

Virgin/Westwood 

8.42 

9 CSiC: Covert Operations 

Virgin/Westwood 

8.22 

lit QvHlzaUofl 11: Scenarios 

MicroProse 

8.19 


a®\ TOP WARGAMES 



1 Steel Panthers 11 Campaign Disk 

SSI 

8.75 


2 Steel Panthers Campaign Dish 

SSi 

8.65 


3 Steel Panthers li 

SSI 

8.36 


4 Battleground; Shiloh 

TalonSoft 

8,09 


5 Battleground: Bull Run 

TalonSoft 

8.02 


9 Tigers on the Prowl tl 

HPS 

7,98 


7 Battleground; Antletam 

TalonSoft 

7.97 

n 

8 Battleground: Napoleon In Russia 

TalonSoft 

7.95 


9 Battleground; Waterloo 

TalonSoft 

7.72 

■ 

10 AUMgraoDd: Cettysburg 

TalonSoft 

7.52 




MARCH 199B 



30 GAMES 





1 

Heroes II: Price of loyalty 

New World Computing 

ST 

9.10 


2 

Quake Pack 2: Dissolution of Eternity id Soltware/Rogue 

AC 

8.95 


3 

Quake Pack 1 : Scourge of Amiagon 

id Sottware/Ritual 

AC 

8.90 


4 

WarCraft 11 Expansion Disk 

Blizzard 

ST 

8,85 


5 

Total Annihilation 

GT Interactive 

ST 

8,80 

it 

' B 

Steel Panthers II Campaign Disk 

SSI 

WG 

8.75 


7 

WarCraft II 

Blizzard 

ST 

8.74 


8 

Heroes II 

Nev/ World Computing 

ST 

8.73 


S 

Red Alert 

Virgin/Westwood 

ST 

8.72 


10 

Civiilzation II 

MicroProse 

ST 

8.71 

* 

11 

Diablo 

Blizzard 

RP 

8.66 


' 12 

Links LS 

Access 

SP 

8,65 



Steel Panthers Campaign Disk 

SSI 

WG 

8.65 


14 

Jodi Knight: Dark Forces If 

LucasArts 

AC 

8,58 

★ 15 

You Don't Know Jack II 

Berkeley Systems 

CP 

8.53 


18 

Red Alert: Counterstrike 

Virgin/Westwood 

ST 

8,42 


17 

Steel Panthers II 

SSI 

WG 

8.36 

★ 18 

Wing Commander IV 

EA/Origin 

S! 

8.29 


19 

Duke niukem 3D 

3D Realms 

AC 

8.26 


20 

NASCAR Racing 2 

Sierra 

SP 

8,24 


21 

Tomb Raider 

Eidos 

AC 

8.23 


22 

C&C: Covert Operations 

Virgin/Westwood 

ST 

8,22 

★ 23 

Gabriel Knight 2 

Sierra 

AD 

8,21 


24 

You Don't Know Jack 

Berkeley Systems 

CP 

8,20 


25 

ClviilzatlOR 11: Scenarios 

MicroProse 

ST 

8,19 


26 

The Pandora Directive 

Access 

AO 

8.17 


27 

AH-64 Longbow 

EA/Origin 

SI 

8.09 



Battleground: Shiloh 

TatonSott 

WG 

8,09 


29 

NHL 97 

EA Sports 

SP 

8.08 


30 

Battleground: Bull Run 

TalonSoft 

WG 

8.02 



Quake 

id Software 

AC 

8.02 


82 

MechWarrior 2: Mercenarfes 

Activision 

SI 

8.00 


33 

Tigers on the Prowl 11 

HPS 

WG 

7.98 


34 

Battleground: AnOetam 

TalonSoft 

WG 

7.97 



Grand Prix 2 

MicroProse 

SP 

7.97 


36 

NBA Live 97 

EA Sports 

SP 

7.96 


37 

Battleground: Napoleon In Russia 

TalonSoft 

WG 

7.95 


38 

The Need for Speed SE 

EA 

AC 

7.94 


39 

You Don't Know Jack Movies 

Berkeley Systems 

CP 

7.93 


40 

Flight Simulator 98 

Microsoft 

,st 

7,92 


41 

Silent Hunter 

SSI 

SI 

7,85 


42 

Tripleplay 98 

EA Sports 

SP 

7,82 


43 

U.S. Marine Fighters 

EA 

SI 

7,81 


44 

Jack Nictdaus 4 

Accolade 

SP 

7,78 



Rama 

Sierra 

AD 

7.78 


46 

Twinsen's Odyssey 

Activision 

AD 

7,7? 


47 

You Don't Know Jack Sports 

Berkeley Systems 

CP 

7,74 


48 

BatOeground: Waterloo 

TalonSoft 

WG 

7.72 



Crusador: No Regret 

EA/Origin 

AC 

7.72 



Dark Reign 

Activision 

ST 

7.72 ' 



51 

The NeverhoDd 

DreamWorks 

AD 

7.70 

52 

Dungeon Keeper 

EA/Bullfrog 

ST 

7.69 

S3 

Moto Racer 

EA 

AC 

7.65 

54 

Kexen 11 

Activision 

AC 

7.60 

55 

Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games 

Sir-Tech 

ST 

7,59 


EF2000 

Ocean 

SI 

7,59 

57 

Realms of the Haunting 

Interplay 

AO 

7.56 

58 

X-COM; Apocalypse 

MicroProse 

ST 

7.55 

59 

Battleground: Gettysburg 

TalonSoft 

WG 

7.52 

60 

Circle of Blood 

Virgin 

AD 

7.50 


U.S. Navy Fighters 

EA 

SI 

7.50 

62 

Tripleplay 97 

EA Sports 

SP 

7.48 

63 

Interstate '76 

Activision 

AC 

7.46 

64 

MDK 

Playmates/Shiny 

AC 

7.44 

85 

Spycraft 

Activision 

AD 

7.43 

68 

CIvNet 

MicroProse 

ST 

7.42 

67 

PGA Tour Pro 

EA Sports 

SP 

7.41 

68 

Advanced Tactical Fighters 

EA 

SI 

7.39 


Fantasy General 

SSI 

ST 

7.39 


Imperialism 

SSI 

ST 

7,39 

71 

Lords of the Realm II 

Sierra 

ST 

7.38 

72 

NBA Live 98 

EA Sports 

SP 

7.37 


Power Chess 

Sierra 

CP 

7.37 

74 

Daggerfall 

Belhesda 

RP 

7.36 


FPS Football Pro '96 

Sierra 

SP 

7.36 


7B Age of Rifles Campaign Disk SSI WG 7.33 

X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter LucasArts SI 7.33 

78 Last Express Broderbund AD 7.32 


79 

Comanche 3 

Novalogic 

SI 

7,31 


Shadows of the Empire 

LucasArts 

AC 

7.31 

81 

FPS FDOtbaJI Pro '97 

Sierra 

SP 

7.30 


Star Fleet Academy 

Interplay 

SI 

7.30 

83 

Leisure Suit Larry 7 

Sierra 

AD 

7.29 

64 

FIFA 97 

EA Sports 

SP 

7.27 


Robert E. Lee: Civil War General 

Sierra 

WG 

7.27 

88 

688(1} Hunter/Xilier 

EA/Jane’s 

SI 

7.25 

87 

Pacific General 

SSI 

WG 

7.24 


Ulthna Online 

Origin 

RP 

7.24 

89 

Theme Hospital 

EA/Bullfrog 

ST 

7.19 

90 

Lighthouse 

Sierra 

AD 

7,18 

91 

Virtual Pool 

VR Sports 

SP 

7.16 


Zork Nemesis 

Activision 

AD 

7.16 

93 

Novalogic F-22 

Novalogic 

SI 

7.15 

94 

Descent li 

Interplay 

AC 

7.14 


Magic the Gathering 

MicroProse 

ST 

7.14 

99 

Wipeout XL 

Psygnosis 

AC 

7.12 

97 

Flying Corps 

Empire 

SI 

7.11 

98 

Anvil of Dawn 

New World Computing 

RP 

7.10 


The Need for Speed II 

EA 

AC 

7.10 


Privateer: The Darkening 

Origin 

SI 

7.10 


Games on unnumbered lines are tied with game on line above. = Top game of type. Red = New Game, AD = Adventure, RP = Roie-PIaying, SI = Simulation/Space Combat, 
ST = Strategy, WG = Wargame, AC = Action, SP = Sports, CP = Classic/Puzzle. Games are retired after two years and become eligible for the Hall of Fame, 




MARCH 1998 


ccw 



Welcome to the Cooperstown of Computer Games. Here you'll llnil, raised upon pedestals, the 


games that broke the records, established the benchmarks, and held gamers In delighted trances for hours untold. 


Alone in the Dark (i-MoLion. 1992) 

Lovecraftian horror goes 3D, with shifting camera angles 
aOding to the creei^ atmosphere. 

Bahle Chess (Interplay, 1988) 

The Franklin Mint of computer chess games with violent and 
funny animation disguising a solid chess engine. 


Kinb's Quest V (Sierra On-Line, 1990) 

Redefined the graphic adventure with non-lexl-based parser 
and VGA graphics 

Lemmings (Psygnosis, 1991) 

The lovable carioon Lilliputians were real-time hits on every 
platform. 



The Bard's Tale(EA, 1985) 
Pioneered Ihree-poinI animation, 30 color 
mazes, and aufomapping. 

The Sechet of Monkey Island 

(iJicasArls, 1990) 

Comedy adventure that set new standards in 
writing duality and social sensltfvlty. 


Beiravsi. at Kronddr (Dynamix,1993) 

As rich and imaginative as Raymond Feist's world itself; its 
3D perspective was fresh. 


Links 386 Pro (Access Software, 1992) 
Topped the leader board in graphics and realism for 
its era. 


Their Firesi HaURlLucasArls, 1989) 

' WWI! Sim with great campaigns and crew member options 
. some current sims lack. 


Chessmasteh (Software Toolworks, 1986) 

The Cadillac of castling, this chess masterpiece gets better 
Mih each version. 


M-1 Tank Platoon (MicroProse, 1989) 

Realistic sim lhal properly focused on armored forma- 
tions ralher than single vehicles; good mission desigrrs. 


TIE Fighter (LucasAris, 1994) 

Most satisfying Star Wars space-combat game to dale lets 
you five on the dark side. 


Dungeon Master (FTL 
Software, 1987) 

Trend'Setling graphics, digitized 
stereo, and great hack-and-slash 
from a decade ago. 

Day of the Tentacle 

(LucasAris, 1993) 

Offbeat sequel to Mm«ac Mmjsion; 
the interactive equivalent of a clas- 
sic Chuck Jones carioon. 

Doom (id Software, 1993) Revolutionized 
PC action games and network gaming; surpassed in tech- 
nology but not gamepity. 

Earl Weaver Bagerau (EA.1986) 

Revolutionary physics-based baseball game that pleased 
both action and statistics Ians. 

Empire (Interstel, 1978) 

WWI) It? space, this mainframe transplant brought elegant 
mechanics, depth, and unending ret^ayability k? the PC. 

F-1S Stealth Fighter (MicroProse, 1988) 

A “Ihinking man's" sim. with great missions, in which sneak- 
ing around is as fun as dogfighiing. 

Falcon 3.0 (Spectrum HoloByte, 1991) 

Tough, detailed jet sim with ambihous At, graphics, and con- 
nectivity to match its realism. 

Front Page Sports Football Pro 

(Dynamix, 1993) 

Pf^ics-based system, good Al, and unmatched career piay 
make this the ultimate in pigskin play, 

Gehysburg: The Turning Point 

(SSi, 1986) 

Rrsi variable order of baffle ciranged the look of all 
American Civil War games on the PC. 

Gghship (MicroProse, 1989) 

Great character continuity, R&R for 
fatigued pilots, and even sick leave; best 
chopper fare until Jane's Longbo-w. 

Harpoon (360 Pacific, 1989) 

In-depth modern naval battles in real- 
time, based on Cold War fears. 




Master of Magic (MicroProse, 1994) 

The atmosphere and variety of Magic: The Gathering with the 
sophistication of Civuization. 

WIasteo oe Orion (MicroProse, 1993) 

Remarkable diplomalic Al; deep and varied lechnoiogy tree; 
aliens required radically different playing styles. 

NIech Brigade (SSi. 1985) 

Modern armored battles wilh improved 
Kampfgruppe syslem and more realism. 

Might & Magic (New World 
Computing, 1986} 

First-person, maze-based RPG wilh huge 
environment and lough tactical combat. 

M.U.L.E. (EA, 1983) 

A landmark multiplayer strategy game lhal had no 
weapons of destruction, just cutthroat competilior? lhal 
made economics fun. 

Panzeo General (SSl, 1994) 

A truly fun wargame wilh an elegant interface, 
great campaigns, strong Al, good graphics, and 
impressive sound. 

Red Baron (Opmix, 1990) 

WWI air combat wilh great graphics, incredible realism, and 
a versatile replay feature. 

Sid Meier’s Civilization 

(MicroProse, 1991) 

CSWs #l-fated game of all lime; 
indescribably addictive world conquest/ 
exploration game, 

Sid Meier's Pirates (MicroProse, 

Combines pirate adventure, action, RPG, and strategy to 
make the most successful hybrid of all time. 

Sid Meier's Railroad Tycoon 

(MicroProse, 1990) 

SimCily meets 1830 with robber barons lor emphasis. 
SimCitt (Maxis, 1987) 

Urban planning with fascinaling consequences and chal- 
lenges; the first great software toy. 




Ultima III (Origin Systems, 1983) 

Coherency and surprising subtlety emphasized roie-playing, 
and set the tone for later Ultiaws. 

Ultima IV (Origin Systems, 1985) 

High-concept RPG explored meaning of virtue and put the 
ROLE in role-playing. 

Ultima VI (Origin Systems, 1990) 

This RPG as morality pl^ paved way for Uiiima Online's 
reafislic ertvirons and objects, 

Ultima Underworld 

(Origin Systems, 1992) 

The first truly 3D RPG, and stiii the most convincing: its dun- 
geon walls were rricety "painted" wilh texture-mapp^ graphics 

War in Russia (SSi, 1984) 

' More realistic than Eastern Froht, it captured the essence of 
' the largest land campaign in history. 

Wasteland 

(tnlerplay, 1986) 

Derived from Mike Stackpole's 
Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes, 
this is the definitive poslapocalyptic 
RPG. 

Wing Commander I 

(Origin Systems, 1990) 

A hot spaceflight engine, unfolding story 
path, and great characters 

WiNG Commander II 

(Origin Systems, 1991) 

Darker story, grittier feel, sound card advances and tougher 
Ai made this a sequel of sequels. 

Wing Commander III 

(Origin Systems, 1994) 

Surprisingly satisfying FMV space opera didn't lose the 
essence of the space-combat game 

Wizardry (Sir-Tecti Software, 1981) 

: Defined the computer RPG with maze-based viewpoint and 
■ atmospheric spell names 

WOLFENSTEIN 3-D (id Soltwaie, 1992) 

Smooth scrolling action biasUest cleverly updated the origi- 
nal. and put shareware back on the map. 

X-COM (MicroProse, 1994} 

Premier tactical squad-level engine combined with alien lech 
research and pop culture for a sci-fi game nearly as addic- 
tive as Civ. 



KaMPEGROPPE (SSI, 1985) 

Armored warfare on WWH’s Eastern Front, offered engaging 
battles on multiple platforms 


SlARFLIGHT (EA, 1986) 

Depth, great characters, and a good sci-fi storyline set early 
standards for RPGs. 


ZORK (Infocom. 1981) 

The progenitor of adventure games on the PC; ils humor 
and challenging puzzles seem timeless 



CGW ADVERTISER INDEX 

Order Free Product Information @ www.computergaming.com/infolink 


INFOi 

COMPANY 

PRODUCT 

PACE I 

INFQJJ 

COMPANY 

PRODUCT 

PACE 

120 

3D6iliitcrdclK'e 

V(XKt(x)2 

106 

244 

kisniii 

CameSlonn 

144-145 

120 

SDkIiita'adive 

'Vl:xxk«2 

163 

237 

Kesmai 

Li^cixls 

146 

120 

3I!)lxliitcrtK;H\t; 

Voocloo2 

151 

238 

Kesmai 

Multi])kTyerl3atlle'rcdi 

2IS 

120 


V(xxkx)2 

196 

117 

LnoMrts Entcriaiiimait Co, 

Guise of Monkcy'l.skiiKl 

69 

120 

3D6clii(crcicS\c 

Vax;kxj2 

186 

122 

UieavVtslijilcriainmentCo. 

Jc'dihaiiglit 

72-73 

125 

3D6cIiiterac'tK'e 

Voaioo2 Svvec|)s1akcs 

205 

SO 

Mad Cx’tiius Software 

Gnnmdal 

102-103 

241 

Access Software, liK. 

’ I 'cx Murirhv' Overseer 

159,158 

93 

h'ladCatz 

Piuitlier&’ i’aiitlxTXLQimbo 

3637 

i(M 

/\cclaiiif 

Hjisikcn 

‘H-95 

246 

MalRK Gnphics, lix. 

MatrcKm3l,9 

100 

291 

AefokKfe 

lDeaclkx;kll 

C5G7 

102 

h'IId.9IAON 

Gaming Systems 

256259 

IS9 

/\ccoliKlc 

jiickNickkiiKColf 

7_3 

175 

MaiiaSlatkxt 

ExtrenxTjxIics 

9691 

230 

.Acthision 

Battiezone 

111-113 

I6S 

Mctit^xJisj^igita] 

SbirCommaixi l^cli kc 

187,189 

231 

Activision 

Sin 

57-59 

153 

MCMl lomeEjftertaiitmcnt 

WarCiuncs 

81-83 

24S 

ASCGaines 

Cnmd'ibcflAnto 

42-43 

M) 

MiciT)! 1 Mectaii lies, Inc. 

Millenia 

106109 

233 

ASCCanies 

Siinitiiriiun 

4M9 

!58 

Micnal^wc 

DaikEiirth 

154 

106 

A'll’lecbiolcgievlnc. 

)^x-rt@nay 

52 

157 

MicRiProse 

Falcon 4.0 

7677 

373 

BetiiesdaSoftwoifc 

BatllcS[)in:; 

157 

160 

iVlictolAusc 

GuaKlians-;/\gcntsof|usticc 

146149 

374 

BdiicsdiSoftvvrais 

BiinKxit 

185 

191 

MierolAtise 

M-rrankl^alfxai 

64-65 

177 

BliKjR_\lcSoft\\arc 

Bine Bvtc's l';imiK’(jf I^oducti 

24 

152 

MiciT)l\cisc 

iVlagc tlx Gitlxning: IX J 1 P 

207 

265 

Software 

Myllt'llxl'aibilords 

86,87 

151 

MicmlVuc 

LHUmatcCiv'll 

198 

75 

CM lAtxkids 

l3ix-ingSystan 

‘77 

98 

MiciDlAose 

DltinxilelkicelV) 

182-183 

68 

Chips & Bits 

wvv\v.ctlni;ig.ct)m/chi|5s.html 

256-257 

()9 

MiciolAose 

WonnsZ 

126 

131 

Ciyo Interactive Entertainment 

UBIK 

231 

96 

NcwW'orid GanpLiting 

Mi^it&'MagicN'l 

221-223 

266 

CUC3/13li57arcl Enleriaininent 

StarCraft 

4-5 

: 268 

OccanofAnerica 

hTZZArlXiminaiKe 

190-191 

113 

CjdoneStiiclicB 

Uixising 

34-35 

114 

ORIGIN Systems, Inc. 

Q-iiyslxiig 

201 

190 

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93 

94 

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E-15 

2627 

276 

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135-137 

97 

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279 

Eitbi Interactive 

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131-133 

198 

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29-31 

115 

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139 

1% 

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69 

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277 

Eidos Interactive 

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174-175 

159 

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110 

257 

I'alarn-Northwest 

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105 

271 

Sega Soft 

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14-15 

169 

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Uineal 

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186 

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1621 

85 

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67 

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133 

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72 

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140 

165 

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71 

76 

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128-129 

240 

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202 

166 

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254 

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162 

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164 

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195 

112 

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91 

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192 

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101 

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89 

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216216 

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197 

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85 

234 

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247 

WWvvtxxl Studios 

Blade Runna 

12-13 





MARTIN CIRULIS 


Whats the Deal 
with. . . 
Fantasies? 


T he dusl is just beginning to settle 
on Ultima Online, and regardless 
of what else can be said about 
Origin-a company that lived the 
good life off of two years of press 
releases and then handed an 
unfinished land over to the rabid 
Cyber-cast of The brd of the 
Flies without even a "Bevrare, evildoers, the Avatar 
is watching”— I think some very important lessons 
can be learned from the experience, about the 
clash between the average consumer’s expecta- 
tions of Nelgaming, and about the harsh realities 
of actually trying to play a game over the nutty 
hodgepodge of misanthropic technology known 
as the Net. 

After watching the Ultima affair unfold while the 
rest of the Netgaming industry teeters on the brink 
of bankruptcy, I have come to realize that the prob- 
lem lies in the nature of the beast, as well as in 
the greedy hearts and overly optimistic minds of 
game providers. 

The whole thing is akin to Ford showing a con- 
cept “car of tomorrow" in the '50s and all of us 
expecting to fly to work the next year. It just ain’t 
happening. We’ve all been sold such a bill of 
goods about how cool and capable the internet is 
that we expect it to work as smoothly as it does 
on TV, The ugly truth is that for the most part, the 
Net as it is today is just not capable of supporting 
the kind of smooth gaming experience the aver- 
age consumer is looking for, and expecting. 

If you thought fooling around with your config 
files was tedious in the pre Win-95 days, just wait 
until you have to futz around for hours frying to 
figure out why your ultracool, new Net-capable 
game keeps crashing your system every time you 


enter the gamer’s chat area. Now, part of this is, 
without a doubt, due to some really bad multi- 
player code being put out by game companies, 
as "Net capability” is still a big, last-minute gim- 
mick thrown into games by nervous execs. But 
the rest of the problem is just the simple fact that 
regardless of what Bill Gates says, the Internet is 
still a rough place for software, and most of us 
are asking our proctologist to help us find our 

^ U Most of us 
are asking our 
proctologist to 
help us find 
our ISP. yy 

ISR Hell, it’s only been a couple of years since 
modems have been able to speak the same pro- 
tocol, the 56KB standard exists only on paper 
right now, and yet we’re complaining that we 
can’t play graphically intense games with our 
buddies from Tibet without a patch or two. 

Anybody thinking seriously of spending server 
dollars on gaming should keep in mind two 
things: 1) That any Netgame (or Nelgame service} 
more complex than Battleship should be consid- 
ered, as should the Internet itsell, a work in 
progress; and 2) You can’t always get what you 
want, but sometimes you get what you need. In 
other words, be prepared to suffer through con- 
stant patches, and be open-minded enough to 
give a simpler game a chance, despite the fact 
you came for the glamour. 


There are plenty of non-3D blastfest 
Netgames out there that are actually designed 
for the way the Net is now instead of how we 
would like it to be. Activision’s NetStorm may 
not offer the alternative lifestyle thrill of an Elf 
discussing the price of leather shoes with an 
Ore, but on the other hand, it works-and if 
brings out what the Net is good at-connectivi- 
ty and continuity. It’s a belter use of your dollars 
to play a good game that works, than to sit 
around and gripe because your flight sim looks 
like a slide show. 

The bottom line is that, despite what any PR 
guy or overenthusiastic designer might tell you, 
Netgames are not a Plug-and-Play item yet, nor 
will they be until the basic technology stabilizes 
and we are all connected to fast, flat-rate 
servers through our fiber-optic cable modems. 
You may have your 50-something modem and 
your free game server, but it’s not doing you 
much good if your ISP is charging you by the 
minute to route your data through a 200-baud 
cheese grater in Pakistan. Sitting there scream- 
ing at your fellow strategy gamers to hurry up 
because your meter is running, or swearing at 
designers because you’ve discovered that 
"action game" translates to "lag fest" is just not 
going to do much good. 

Do your reading, figure out what your Net 
connections are actually capable of, and then 
decide if you want to pay somebody to partici- 
pate in what is still a grand experiment. Once 
you come at Netgames with your eyes wide 
open, then you can let the coolness that really 
exists overwhelm you, instead of moving from 
one disappointing experience to another, simply 
because all you’ve known is the hype. S 


Computer Canting World (ISSN 074A-6667) is published monlhly W ZiH-Davis, Inc. One Park Avenue, Nfw httk, NY 10016. Subserplion rale is S27.97 for a one-year subscriplion (12 issues). Canada and all other 
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Es^|)Us|i aUtances with other races to 
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